Lyrical Academy!
by Yuho
Summary: After a chance encounter two years ago, Nanoha was deeply attracted to Fate. When a sheer stroke of luck placed them in the same class, Nanoha was thrilled. As the two got closer to each other, will their friendship blossom into something more? An AU fic.
1. Prologue

Summary: After a chance encounter two years ago, Nanoha was deeply attracted to Fate. When a sheer stroke of luck placed them in the same class, Nanoha was thrilled. As the two got closer to each other, will their friendship blossom into something more? An alternate-universe fanfiction.

Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction. It's not well done but I hope that it will get better as the story goes on. Reviews are deeply appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series nor its characters.

* * *

**Lyrical Academy**

Prologue  
~Thus, They Met~

"No way…"

Twelve years old Takamachi Nanoha breathed as she stared at the list that was stuck on the notice board.

"You passed!" a girl with short, chocolate brown hair and deep blue eyes, screamed with joy as she hugged the still stunned girl. "We are going to be in the same academy!"

"Yea-" Nanoha's words were cut short as a horde of students rushed against the girls in an effort to catch a glimpse of the result of their admittance to Lyrical Academy, the most prestigious school in the country.

"C'mon, Hayate-chan!" Nanoha blocked the rushing crowd with one arm while her other hand searched blindly for her best friend's. Once she got hold of Hayate's hand, Nanoha, putting her mannerisms aside, pushed through the crowd roughly, jabbing others with her elbows and being jabbed herself by the mass of bodies.

Once they made it out safely, Nanoha took a deep breath. "That was hell…"

"Erm…"

Nanoha blinked.

'_Wait a minute, that voice…'_

Slowly, she turned her head towards Hayate, expecting to see the girl in front of her. But what she saw was not the chocolate haired, blue eyed girl. Instead, the girl before her had long, silky blonde tresses that reached her knees and the most striking burgundy eyes.

And was that a glint of amusement in her eyes?

"I think you could let go now…" the blonde said shyly, with a tinge of pink sporting her face.

Nanoha's cheeks flared a brilliant red that might even put a tomato to shame. She immediately dropped the blonde's hand. "I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention! I mean, it's so crowded and-" Nanoha was blabbering. She hung her head in embarrassment.

'_God… I can't believe I got the wrong person… I'm such a dope…'_

"It's okay," the blonde smiled, "Although I can't say the same for your friend over there." She said as she pointed towards the crowd. Nanoha raised her head and looked at the direction she was pointing at and saw a pair of flailing arms in the midst of the human stampede.

"Nanoha-chan!" Hayate's muffled voice called out. "Nanoha-chan!"

"Hayate-chan!" Nanoha shrieked and quickly dived into the crowd in an attempt to save her friend from further suffering. She managed to get hold of Hayate and brought her out to safety. Nanoha stroked Hayate's back as the girl panted, having difficulty in breathing after being squashed in the crowd for quite some time.

"I thought I was going to die…" Hayate wheezed.

"Sorry…" Nanoha said, guiltily. If she hadn't grabbed the wrong person, Hayate would not have wound up in this state. Speaking of _that_ person…

She scanned the area but the object of her interest was nowhere in sight.

'_I wonder if I'll see her again…'_

* * *

Author's note: Please review so that I can make improvements. It will take quite some time for the next chapter to be done as story's still in the planning stages.


	2. Chapter 1: Beginning of a New Friendship

Author's Note: A big Thank You to all who read and reviewed. I actually screamed at my laptop when I saw I had reviews. Made me really excited. I've made the chapter longer. I hope it wasn't too long.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series nor its characters.

* * *

**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter One  
~Beginning of a New Friendship~

Nanoha scanned the list on the notice board. She cracked a smile when she saw her name.

"Alright!" the girl beside her jumped with joy and hugged her. "We are going to be classmates for the third year running!"

They were interrupted when a swarm of students rushed against them, hoping to catch their class assortment for the new school year. Nanoha grabbed Hayate's hand and pushed her way through the students, breathing heavily as they made it out of the crowd.

'_What's this? Déjà vu?'_

She turned towards her friend; half expecting to see a certain blonde haired girl smiling shyly back at her. Hayate cocked her head to the side in confusion as Nanoha continued to stare, as if she would miraculously transform into the blonde if she tried hard enough. She dropped her gaze and sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Hayate crossed her arms and pouted.

"Nyahaha," Nanoha rubbed the back of head sheepishly, "I was just thinking."

"Don't tell me…" Hayate pointed an accusatory finger at Nanoha, "You're still harboring feelings for _her_!"

"Whaa?!" Nanoha blushed, making waving motions with her hands. "It's not like that. I just wanted to be her friend!"

"And to think that you'll cheat on me in broad daylight!" Hayate clasped her hands to her chest and sobbed. "Hayate-chan!" Nanoha hissed as she made a move to grab her arm. Their outbursts had attracted a decent number of curious stares and whispers. "People are looking so stop it!"

"I could…" Hayate's eyes twinkled as she drawled on. Nanoha gulped. Her friend always had something up her sleeves when she had that look in her eyes. "If you'd just let me have a feel up your ches-" Nanoha bobbed her on the head. "Ouch! That hurts, Nanoha-chan."

Nanoha huffed and regarded her friend. Hayate had short, chocolate brown hair that reached just above her shoulders and the deepest blue eyes. To anyone, she might seem to be your gentle, innocent and sweet girl-next-door, but looks can be deceiving. In truth, she had a fetish for, to any girl's horror, women's bosom. Nanoha herself was once a victim of the Hayate's Wild Grope Fest. She shuddered at the memory.

Hayate stuck out her tongue. "I try, but you can be such a hard nut to crack. I mean, Signum and Shamal let me grope them all the time."

Just as the two friends were about to leave the area, Nanoha caught sight of _the_ blonde passing by. As if on auto-pilot, her eyes trailed the retreating figure, noticing how the silky long hair was neatly tied in a low ponytail with the usual black ribbon and the way it swayed with every step the girl took. Nanoha sniffed. She could almost smell the scent of her hair conditioner that was left lingering in the air.

'_It smells like ros-'_

"Pervert," Hayate grinned as Nanoha turned her head at her comment, so fast that her neck had cramped.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"I am Lindy Harlaown," a woman with long green hair addressed the class as she wrote her name on the white board in neat handwriting. "And you'll be under my wing for the rest of the year." She turned toward the class and capped the marker with a click. "Now I would like to assign your seats. Please move to the back of the class." She took a sheet of paper from a folder with 'Class 3-B' written on it. "When your name is called, kindly proceed to the seat that I have allocated you to."

One by one, the students stepped forward and claimed their seats. "Next, Takamachi Nanoha!"

The girl refrained herself from squealing and jumping around like a crazy monkey as she took her assigned seat by the window. The reason for her glee was none other than Fate Testarossa, the very blonde who caused her neck to cramp was allocated right in front of her. _'I must've been blind not to notice her name on the list earlier…'_

Nanoha was delighted when she discovered that the blonde, too, was enrolled into Lyrical. However, they had never spoken to each other since the little mix-up two years ago; even though they often brushed pass one another. Nevertheless, now, for the first time, they were classmates and Nanoha silently thanked every God in the universe for the arrangement.

"Right," Lindy interrupted her train of thoughts. "Now that everyone has settled down, I would like to go through some key topics. First off…"

Nanoha paid little attention as Lindy went on about school and class regulations. Why teachers bother to repeat the same thing every first day of a new school year was a mystery. Her eyes fluttered closed as she enjoyed the breeze that had welcomed itself through the opened windows. A familiar scent wafted to her nose.

'_Just as I thought…'_ she noted, "Roses."

"Did you say something, Takamachi?" Lindy quirked an eyebrow, "If not, please stay seated."

Eyes flickered open and Nanoha noticed that her bottom had left her seat. Her hands were perched on the table with her body leaning all the way across it. It was also then that she realized her face was in close proximity of a very surprised Fate.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Heads turned as laughter exploded from the girls' lavatory. Tears streamed down Hayate's face as she punched the wall repeatedly in an attempt to control her mirth.

"Haven't you had enough? Mou, I'm embarrassed enough as it is!"

"Sorry," Hayate wiped her tears with a finger as she tried to calm herself down. "God, _that_ was epic."

"Don't remind me," Nanoha covered her face with her hands. She had never been so embarrassed in her fourteen years of life. Images of her earlier actions and Fate's horrified face flashed through her mind. It was torture for her to stay in the class with classmates whispering about her every now and then. It was even worse when the blonde ignored her.

"She must think I'm a weirdo now!"

"There, there. At least she noticed you now," Hayate comforted, then snickered. "Though to tell you the truth, you really acted like an old man back there."

Nanoha chased her friend out of the lavatory. "At least school's half-day today," Hayate said, running and laughing at the same time. "So stop brooding and let's head home!"

"We can't! We have club cleaning today!"

"I forgot!" Hayate exclaimed and Nanoha muttered an 'I knew it'. "You go on ahead. I'll just grab our bags!" With that, the girl disappeared around the corner.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nanoha slide the door opened and stepped into the Home Economics room located at the ground floor. The mere thought of having to clean the room made her sigh tiredly. Noting that no one had arrived yet, she slide the door closed and moved toward the windows. She turned the hatch and opened them, allowing for better ventilation.

A tiny smile crept up her lips as she caught sight of Fate running laps on the track field a few meters away. She recalled the day she signed up for the club when she was still a freshman.

"_Let's join the Cooking Club together, please?" Hayate pleaded as she shook her arm by the sleeves. __Nanoha sighed. _

_"You know I can't cook to save my skin."_

"_Then at least accompany me for the club demonstration," Hayate said while giving her best puppy-dog look. "Please?"_

_Nanoha gave in. She could never win against the puppy-eye attack._

_The club members welcomed them warmly as they invited them to participate in making simple confectionery. It wasn't long before Nanoha's attention started to sway and she stared out the window. Not too far away, a group of students were gathered on the track field for Track Club try-outs. Five students were lined up at the starting point, with their hands on the ground and bodies crouched, awaiting the signal to start running. Her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of blonde hair._

_She shifted slightly to get a better view of the track field. Sure enough, it was the girl that she had grabbed by accident on that fateful day. A whistle was blown and they took off, with the blonde in the lead, her golden locks flowing gracefully behind her. Nanoha was awestricken with every movement she made. Never had she known anyone that can run with such elegance. Not to mention with such speed as well._

_In mere minutes, she had completed the entire course. The students cheered at her record. The coach seemed to be extremely pleased with the blonde as he personally handed the girl a towel and a bottle of water. _

'_I want to be at a place…'_

_She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she took a mouthful of water._

'_Where I can see her run…'_

_She smiled a smile that rivaled the sun._

'_I want…'_

Nanoha shook her head and smiled. Never had she imagined herself joining the Cooking Club as she couldn't, for the life of her, even whip up the simplest dish. But yet she did, just to have a chance to see her more, to see her run. It was silly. She began to think that Hayate might be right.

She _was_ acting like an old man.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nanoha jogged to the nearest lavatory and entered a cubicle. It wasn't long before the sound of footsteps echoed off the walls and someone occupied the cubicle beside hers.

She reached for the toilet paper, only to find the dispenser empty.

"Excuse me," Nanoha called out to the occupant beside her. "Could you pass me some paper please?" A rustling sound was heard and a hand clutching toilet paper immerged from beneath the thin wall that separated the cubicles. With a word of thanks, she took it gratefully. She heard the occupant unlock the door and the sound of running water followed shortly.

Nanoha flushed the toilet and eft her cubicle hurriedly, hoping to thank the person one more time. Words were stuck in her throat, however, when the person turned at the sound of her opening the door. Everything around them went to a standstill, with both girls looking surprised.

'_Fate just handed me toilet paper!'_ Nanoha mentally slapped herself._ 'This is not the time to think about that!'_

Now was her chance to apologize and explain herself for what happened that morning, and that she had no intention of acting like a hair sniffing, perverted old man. And after that, maybe, just maybe, they could get to know each other better. She opened her mouth.

"Please be my friend!"

The words blurted out before she could stop it. Wasn't she supposed to apologize first and ask for her friendship later? Nanoha stared at her feet, unable to meet burgundy eyes. She raised her head when the blonde giggled softly.

"Sure," Fate blushed and smiled, extending her hand for a handshake. Nanoha turned red-faced at her smile and broke into a wide grin as she extended her own.

"Nanoha-chan!" Hayate's voice called out. "You're taking way too long that I'm starting to get worried." The chocolate haired girl came running into the lavatory. "Did you discover that your time-of-the-month arrived?" She stopped when she saw her friend and Fate together, with their hands extended in mid-air. She blinked and grinned as she figured out what was going on.

"So you finally did it, huh?"

"Hayate-chan!"

"Hi, I'm your fellow classmate, Yagami Hayate," She moved towards Fate and grabbed her hand in a firm handshake, ignoring the glare sent by Nanoha.

"Nice to meet you, Yagami-san…"

"Just Hayate will do," she said and released her hand. "Do you know? Nanoha wanted to be your friend for the longest time now!"

"You don't have to tell her that!" Nanoha exclaimed and fled the lavatory in a futile attempt to hide her embarrassment. She heard Hayate's voice as she stood outside, willing the abashment to fade away.

"_Let's commence the Mark of Friendship to commemorate us being friends!"_

She wondered what Hayate was up to and when realization dawned on her, it was too late. Nanoha cringed as a long, pitched shriek echoed throughout the campus.

"_Fate-chan's so big! And soft too!"_

* * *

Author's note: so… how was it? I hoped this chapter had successfully portrayed their personalities and relationships. I figured a bit of introductory was required for the story to flow. I'm sorry if the chapter's boring.


	3. Chapter 2: Surprise House Visit

Author's note: Plenty of thanks to all who read and reviewed :) Here's the next chapter of Lyrical Academy. It's still a sort of a little introductory chapter but the next chapter would be where story actually starts to "move", hopefully.

* * *

**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Two  
~Surprise House Visit~

The shrill ringing of an alarm clock rang throughout the bedroom at exactly five in the morning, jarring the sleeping figure awake. A slender arm immerged from under the covers and pressed the button located on top of the device, shutting it off. Rubbing her eyes sleepily while sitting up, she wrapped the covers around her body, slid off her bed and made her way to the door. Jogging lightly along the corridor, she a took a quick peek into the bedroom beside hers, satisfied to see that the person inside soundly asleep, unperturbed by the loud ringing earlier.

Quietly, she made her way to the bathroom and went through the daily routine of brushing her teeth and washing her face. Feeling refreshed, she headed back to her room and discarded the covers and her shirt for a matching black jacket and track pants. She tied her hair in a high ponytail and with a final check in the mirror, grabbed her iPod and cell phone and proceeded downstairs. A woman with long, wavy taupe hair seated at the table looked up from the papers at the sound of footsteps.

"Good morning," Precia greeted with a smile. "I see you're up early as usual."

"Morning, Mother," Fate bent her body slightly and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek.

"Is she awake?" Her mother asked in a slightly hushed tone. "No," Fate replied. "I checked and she's still asleep." Precia sighed with relief, "Good. I wouldn't want to deal with your sister's sleep derived tantrums so early in the morning." She took a sip of coffee and returned to her reading.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Fate took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh, cool air as she stood on her porch. While most people were still snuggled in the warmth of their beds and snoring away on a Sunday morning, she was already up and about, getting ready for the intense run ahead. She enjoyed running in the early morning, without bothersome cars and the carbon monoxide they emit, having the road and air all to herself. With a final stretch, she put on her earphones, switched on her iPod and began her morning run.

She started off slowly, following to the beat of a series of soothing music that was on her playlist. Her speed increased when it was replaced with fast paced techno songs. Drops of sweat formed on her forehead and her breath became ragged, feeling the pull of her muscles in her thighs and legs. She closed her eyes. The feel of cool air against her warm skin was just exhilarating.

She was abruptly interrupted, however, when a yell, loud enough to be heard through her earphones, cut through the air. She snapped her eyes open to see an out of control bicycle charging directly at her, with its rider screaming hysterically.

"Get out of the way!"

Fate managed to shun the bicycle just in time as it zoomed pass her, travelling a few more meters before it crashed into a low parapet. The contents that was in the basket in front of the bicycle exploded like a massive display of fireworks as the rider was flung into the air, landing in the hedge of somebody's garden.

"Oh my God!" came out of Fate's mouth as she ran to survey the damage, praying for the safety of the rider. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as the rider emerged from the bushes unscathed.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha gasped, surprised to see the blonde, hands full with groceries, at her doorstep at - she checked the clock on the wall – six-thirty in the morning. "What are you doing here? Why are you here? How you'd know I live here? And what's with the bags?"

"So you're _Fate-chan_," the other brunette who had been standing beside Fate spoke. "Nanoha's been telling me all about you."

"Mom!" Nanoha gasped again, just noticing Momoko's presence and the disheveled state she was in, with leaves stuck in her hair and her clothes crumpled. The state of the bicycle beside her was worse. "What happened?!"

"Ah," She scratched her cheek sheepishly. "I crashed and flew into a bush on my way back."

Nanoha opened the door wider, allowing the two to step into the house. Fate placed the bags on the kitchen counter and took a look around the house while Momoko explained to her daughter about what happened earlier in detail. It had a pleasant atmosphere, and was much smaller and cozier as compared to her home.

She then turned her attention to the brunettes where the youngest of the pair was helping the other cleaned up, recalling how taken aback she was to see a drowsy Nanoha at the door. Then again, how she never realized the possibility of them being family was beyond her as they clearly shared some distinct features, from the colour of their hair and eyes, right down to their - does she dare say - klutziness.

Nanoha accidentally pulled too hard as she tried to remove a stubborn leaf that had tangled within her mother's hair and both their foreheads collided when Momoko's head jerked forward, earning each of them a yelp of pain. They rubbed the sore spots and apologized at the same time.

"Nyahaha, sorry."

No doubt about it. They're a hundred percent related.

"Please stay for breakfast," Momoko said to Fate as she moved behind the kitchen counter to unpack the groceries. "As my way of thanking you for carrying these all the way here."

"Thank you and you're welcome for the help Takamachi-san, but I'm afraid I have to be going now," Fate said as she rejected the offer politely. "Sorry to intrude so long."

-o-o-o-o-o-

She coughed and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Nyahaha, sorry, I'm staring aren't I?"

A short 'yes' was what Fate wanted to say, but that would be somewhat rude. "It's okay. You can stare as much as you want."

That… didn't sound right either and it was proven so when Nanoha's face turned red at the unintentional flirting and Fate tried to cover up her own embarrassment with another cough. In the end, she stayed for breakfast, thanks to the strong insistence of the brunette seated across of her.

_Note to self: Nanoha can be quite the stubborn girl._

"Sorry, it's just that this the first time I've seen Fate-chan aside from school hours," she said shyly. "Do you always wear clothes such as those when you go out?"

"Only when I'm doing runs," Fate replied with a smile, grinning when a playful thought came into mind. "I could say the same to you. Is that what you usually wear at home? Pink pajamas with little bunny imprints? And equally matching pink fluffy bunny slippers?"

First came confusion and then came horror and cue - the different shades of red on Nanoha's face. Fate chuckled and gazed at the brunette. With her brown hair free from its usual side-ponytail, Nanoha looked somewhat different, a little more feminine, so to speak. She noted, too, that she was rather pretty, now that she had a good look at her.

A couple of weeks had passed since the awkward incident. Fate wasn't really freaked out by her actions, she just didn't know how to respond, thus gave the impression that she was ignoring her. In fact, it was quite the opposite as she found her interesting, even before they were classmates, having heard about her culinary disasters from others. And when the brunette made her declaration of friendship, she was delighted.

"Erm," the brunette interrupted her thoughts. "Is something wrong?"

"N-nothing," the blonde, having caught staring, stuttered. Both girls fell silent shortly afterwards. "So…" she started, breaking the silence. "Are you an only child?"

"Nope. I have an elder brother and sister," Nanoha replied with a smile. "They are helping out at Midori-ya with Dad right now. Ah! Midori-ya is our family-business, a bakery. Maybe you can visit the shop sometime."

Nanoha looked like she was about to ask something when Momoko placed a plate stacked with freshly made pancakes on the table. "Looks like you girls are enjoying yourselves."

"Mom! Where'd you come from?!" Nanoha jumped in her seat and then blushed. "Er, I mean... Oh wow! The pancakes look great!"

A tinge of pink spread across Fate's face as she, like Nanoha, had momentarily forgotten about her presence.

Momoko sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm being ignored _again_?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Really, you don't have to."

"It's fine. Besides, I'm only accompanying you half the way." Nanoha said as she took a few quick steps and stood in front of Fate, smiling. "So let me walk with you, alright?"

The blonde nodded, blushing slightly. They fell into step with each other and walked side by side to Fate's house in comfortable silence. Over in the distance, a paperboy was distributing the morning papers, slotting them into mailboxes. Fate quirked an eyebrow at his attire: a white collared shirt with suspenders, a pair of brown shorts, white knee-length socks paired with black shoes and finally, a grey beret adorned his head, positioned low enough to cover his eyes.

It wasn't long before they passed each other, both girls pretending not to stare. The brunette shot a glance behind her. "Wow," Nanoha spoke as she regarded the boy's outfit. "It's so… unique."

A beeping sound distracted them and Fate took out her cell phone.

"Your mom?"

"Yeah."

It was a message asking about her whereabouts and telling her to come home soon. She typed a short message and pressed 'send'.

'_That reminds me…' _Fate fiddled with her cell phone. _'I haven't asked for her number yet…'_

With her eyes closed and a deep breath, she turned presenting her cell phone to the girl beside hers. "Can I have your number?"

"Funny, I was just thinking about the same thing."

'_Wait… I recognize that voice anywhere! It's…'_

"Hayate-chan!" Nanoha shrieked, startled by the sudden appearance of said girl who had placed herself between the two of them. Fate instinctively covered her chest and took a few steps backwards, distancing herself from the girl.

"Aww… C'mon," Hayate pouted. "Is that how you greet a friend?"

Even though the girl hadn't laid her hands on her since the _Mark of Friendship_, Fate wasn't going to let her guard down, in fear of yet another attack. It was then that she noticed what Hayate was wearing.

"You're that paperboy!"

"_Girl_, you mean, though I don't think there's such a thing as a papergirl," Hayate pondered for a moment before she sobbed, feigning a hurt look. "Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan failed to notice me, even when I walked by them."

"Anyone would when you're dressed like _that_," Fate pointed out. "Right, Nanoha?"

"I'm sorry!" the brunette apologized as she ran towards her friend and enveloped her in a bear hug. Fate face-palmed.

"You're forgiven," Hayate said as she patted Nanoha on the head. "As for you," she eyed the blonde with a grin, "How about giving me that number of yours now? Ah, I know! Let's exchange numbers."

Fate sighed as she exchanged cell phones with the girl, deciding to ask for Nanoha's number when she got her own cell phone back. She entered her name and number and hit 'save'. She was about to return the cell phone back to Hayate when the girl suddenly burst out laughing.

"I never knew Fate-chan is into funny faces," she clutched her side with mirth. "You've got to see this, Nanoha-chan!"

Fate almost died of embarrassment that morning.

* * *

Author's note: I couldn't resist writing a chapter on Fate, since her role was small in the previous chapter lol.


	4. Chapter 3: The Wheels are Turning

Author's Note: Plenty of thanks to everyone who read and reviewed =D Here's chapter 3 of Lyrical Academy.

* * *

**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Three  
~The Wheels are Turning~

_Attention to all Lyricians!_

_Three weeks from now, Lyrical Academy's annual Sports Day will be held at the track field from 8:00 hours to 17:00 hours. Students are reminded to wear their assigned sports tee of their respective class color and official school PE shorts. Please be punctual on the day of the event._

_If you wish to participate in any of the following list of events, please register at the Student Council office:_

_1. 100 metres run_

_2. 800 metres run_

_3. 1500 metres run_

_4. Three legged race_

_5. Shot put_

_6. Discus throw_

_7. Javelin throw_

_8. Relay_

_Please kindly note that registration ends a week before Sports Day._

_President of the Student Council,  
Arisa Bannings_

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Are you going to participate in any this year?" Hayate questioned as she polished off a piece of bread. "You never did in the previous years."

Nanoha sighed and placed the flyer aside. "I don't know. I mean, I'm not the athletic type and you know it."

"True," her friend agreed as she recalled the countless accidents, falls and mix-ups the girl had in almost every sports related event, back when they were still in elementary school. She even made a brilliant display of falling face first onto the ground when she tripped over her own feet during their most recent Physical Education class. What's worse was that the signal to start running wasn't even given yet. "But isn't it a shame not to join _this_ year?" She continued, deliberately emphasizing on the word.

"And why is that so?" the brunette continued with her lunch, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth.

"The three legged race of course!" the chocolate haired girl said. "Don't you want to join it with Fate-chan now that you're friends? Just think! You'll get to hold onto her shoulder, with your bodies so close that you could feel the curves and heat of her body…" she wiped an imaginary drool off her mouth while Nanoha choked, coughing out the half-eaten cherry tomato. She took a quick gulp of juice and gasped.

"Why would I even want to do that?!"

"Oh please," Hayate said with a wave of her hand. "You know you want to."

"I don't…"

"Ah ha! You're hesitating! Why don't you just admit that you like her?"

"When did I say I not like her?" Nanoha retorted and crossed her arms.

"Not like that," her friend sighed, "I meant _like her_-like her." She made gestures with her hands, trying to get her point across. And when the brunette gave her a clueless look, she decided that a much more direct approach was needed. "Love, Nanoha-chan! I'm saying that you're in love with her!"

That definitely hit the mark as Nanoha's eyes widened at her words. "What are you saying? I can't be in love with her. She's my friend! And a girl!"

"That isn't a problem," Hayate rebutted. "The problem is that you're in love with her and yet you're denying it. Haven't you notice the way you look at her? And every time we talk about something, 'Fate-chan' always happens to come out of your mouth, even when we're chatting about the weather!" She paused for a moment and made a grab for the juice on the table, earning a 'that's mine!' from Nanoha as she took a sip. "I'll bet that from way back, you're already crushing on her. Don't think I don't know that you joined the Cooking Club just so you could spy on her in secret."

"S-spy?!"

"If that isn't love, I don't know what it is." Hayate took another sip of juice, ignoring the brunette's comment. "Care to explain?"

Nanoha snatched the drink back from her friend. Seriously, what's with the sudden topic of love anyway? And why must it be Fate of all people? She, in love with her? Impossible. Sure, Fate's really pretty, smart and athletic, she's everything that the brunette hoped to be but that's all there was to it, just admiration and nothing more. She glanced at the chocolate haired girl across of her, who was waiting for her explanation. She was more concerned about her friend's sudden confrontation though. Perhaps something was troubling her? She furrowed her brows and began to think.

Her lips cracked into a small grin when she thought of something. "I'm not the one who needs to explain anything," Nanoha's grin widened when Hayate mirrored her own confusion earlier. "You are."

"What?"

"I'm saying," the brunette smirked mischievously. "You're jealous."

The chocolate haired girl stared at her, stupefied for a moment, before opening her mouth to speak. "Me? Jealous? Of what?"

"Of Fate-chan, of course."

"You're confusing me," Hayate said as she held a hand to her head. "I'm jealous of Fate-chan? What's up with that? I thought we were talking about you being in love with her."

"Oh please," the brunette said, waving her hand, mimicking her friend's earlier action. "If you want to join the three legged race with me, you could've just asked. There's no need to bring Fate-chan into the picture, you know. I admit, I would've asked her to be my partner if I joined, but I'll gladly be yours if you asked. No, wait!" she stopped, looking thoughtful for a minute. "Or is it the other way around?" she asked Hayate, who just looked at her incredulously. "That _you're_ the one who wanted to ask Fate-chan to be your partner. You _were_ talking about her body earlier." Nanoha stared at the ceiling and thought. Then she scratched her head. "Argh! This is so confusing!"

"_You're_ confusing." Hayate sighed exasperatedly and leaned back against her chair, closing her eyes. How dense could the brunette possibly get? It was obvious that Nanoha was in love with Fate. She opened her eyes and glanced at her friend, who was still confusing herself. To be honest, part of what Nanoha said was true. She _was_ jealous of Fate, just a little. Ever since they became friends, Fate had been Nanoha's main interest. She couldn't help but to feel neglected sometimes.

She managed to get over the feeling though, because she knew that it was unintentional on Nanoha's part, and Fate was too likeable for her to stay jealous for long. And when she saw how Nanoha was trying to convince herself that she harbored no romantic feelings for her blonde friend, albeit unconsciously, Hayate just had to do something because knowing Nanoha, she might just push her feelings for Fate aside, treating it as nothing more, much like now.

She felt an impending headache coming up.

"Mind if we join you?" A voice said, bringing the girls out of their own thoughts. Two girls, a lemon, short haired girl accompanied by a taller, pink haired girl whose hair was tied in a high ponytail, stood by their table with food trays.

"Boobies!" Hayate squealed as she jumped and snuggled up towards the pink haired one and rubbed her face against her chest. She did the same to the blonde. "Ah… They work _so_ much better than aspirins."

"Signum! Shamal!" Nanoha shifted her seat a little to the side to allow the girls some space. "Please do join us."

"You guys should really stop indulging her," a midget redhead, with hair tied in twin braids moved from behind the blonde and pink-head and took the empty seat beside Nanoha as she placed her food tray on the table with a clang. "Or you might risk upping the quantity of her harassments."

"Vita-chan!" said a surprised Nanoha. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." The redhead just sniffed and dug into her lunch.

"They are not harassments," Hayate huffed as she took her seat, along with Signum and Shamal. "They are the most primal methods of de-stressing oneself."

Nanoha shook her head at yet another one of the Hayate Philosophy and regarded the three girls who had joined them. They were Hayate's live-in cousins, who were from somewhere faraway and had long last names that the brunette, for the life of her, just can't remember. Her eyes fell on the redhead beside her. In all seriousness, she really doesn't look like a girl of Nanoha's age; in fact, she resembles more of an elementary school kid. She wondered if the girl had her puberty yet.

"If that's what you're thinking," the redhead said as she poked a piece of chicken. "Then yes."

Nanoha's face turned crimson and dug into her own lunch. _'Is she psychic?'_

"Hey, isn't that Testarossa?" Signum interrupted their meal as she nodded towards the direction of said blonde, who was not too far from where they were seated. "And she's talking to that Bruno kid."

"_Chrono_," Shamal corrected as she eyed the boy along with the rest. "Isn't he the son of Miss Lindy Harlaown? I wonder what they are discussing about."

"Hmm," was all Nanoha said as she diverted her attention back to her lunch, feeling a strange pang in her heart when she saw the two of them together, never before had she felt something like that. When the brunette didn't offer any more comments, all heads turned to her direction with eyebrows raised. "Wha-what? Am I supposed to say something?"

The girls gave each other a look and sighed, with Nanoha pouting at their reaction.

"Hey, sorry I took so long," Fate said as she neared their table. "The queue's so long and then I met a friend, so…" the blonde stopped in mid-sentence when she sensed a weird tension around the table. "Is something wrong?" She whispered to Vita when she took a seat beside her. The redhead just shrugged. Then, as if on cue, the tension was gone and everyone went back to eating. The blonde followed suit, picking up her cutlery. Her eyes trailed her friends as they chatted about everything and anything, landing her gaze on the redhead next to her last, who was too busy clearing her food to take part in the conversation.

"Yes," the midget spoke suddenly as she munched her loaf of bread. "And it does come every month just like any other normal girls."

Having caught on what she was thinking, Fate flushed bright red and demolished her meal in rapid speed.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Fate-chan!"

"What is it, Nanoha?"

The brunette had placed herself in front of the blonde, just as she was about to leave the classroom. Fate eyed her friend curiously as the girl fidgeted and played with her fingers.

"Well, after much thinking and stuff," Nanoha twirled the tip of her ponytail between her fingers as she spoke, "I guess I want to participate in Sports Day after all. So…" the girl trailed, looking at anything but the blonde. "I was thinking whether you would like to be my partner for the three legged race?"

The blonde smiled.

"Of course I do!"

"Real- Geh! Hayate-chan!"

"The one and only!" the chocolate haired girl appeared from behind the blonde, making a peace sign at the brunette as she propped herself against Fate's shoulder. "I do not sound like that," the blonde complained at Hayate's imitation of her voice. "I'm not _that_ deep."

"Yes you are," the girl countered. "Nanoha-chan even fell for it."

"_Almost_," Nanoha emphasized. "But not quite."

Hayate moved towards the brunette and stood behind her, placing her hands on her shoulders as she whispered into her ear. "In the end, the thing with Chrono did bother you, huh?" she grinned at the sudden stiffness of the Nanoha's body. "So much that you've decided to enter the race, just so you could take the chance to get closer to Fate-chan?"

"N-no," Nanoha hesitated with her reply. "I just wanted to participate, that's all." The brunette turned and faced Hayate. "So could you please just drop the love thing already?"

"Well," she grinned evilly as she took a step towards her friend, flexing her fingers. "Not unless I get something in return."

"Oh no…" Nanoha put her hands in front of her, taking a few steps backwards.

"Oh yes!" the chocolate haired girl lunged towards the brunette, missing her target as the girl side-stepped at the last moment. Her hands landed on the chest of a very surprised, and unfortunate, blonde. And before she could stop herself, she squeezed.

"Ah…"

Thus, Fate Testarossa was scarred for the second time in her life, under the hands of one Yagami Hayate.

* * *

Author's Note: So Hayate finally questions Nanoha on her feelings for the blonde. I actually had a bit of trouble writing this chapter lol.


	5. Chapter 4: Ready, Steady, Go

Author's note: thank you all for the reviews xD here's chapter 4 of Lyrical Academy.

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Lyrical Academy

Chapter Four  
~Ready, Steady, Go~

It was seven in the morning and the roads to Lyrical Academy were bustling with students, some in groups while others in pairs or simply alone. Everyone was dressed in colourful, school-issued sportswear, excitement clearly evident on their faces. A group of four stood near the entrance gates, chatting as they waited for their friends.

"Yo," greeted Vita when Nanoha arrived, obviously still half asleep, swaying in her steps and bumping into the other students as she made her way towards the group. "What's this? The newest fashion trend?" the midget gestured to the many band-aids plastered on the brunette's face, arms and legs.

"Nuh-uh, Vita-chan," Hayate piped in, wagging a finger and grinned. "They are proof of her determination to win the race with Fate-chan today." She slung an arm around her drowsy friend. "Sober up, sleepyhead," she said and poked the girl's cheek. The brunette just yawned, mumbling in response.

"My, my," Shamal giggled at the girl as yet another yawn escaped her lips. "Looks like Nanoha-chan needs more than just a poke to wake her up."

Hayate appeared to be deep in thought as she crossed her arms. Then with a nod, she flexed her wrists and wriggled her fingers. "It's best that you don't do that," the blonde said as she grabbed her hands, eliciting a pout from the girl. "There's only one person that could wake our sleepy princess up." Signum chimed in, after having stayed silent since the brunette's arrival. "Speak of the devil," Vita said, pointing at a familiar figure that was running towards them.

"I'm not late, am I?" Fate panted as she reached the gates. Nanoha immediately snapped out of her sleepy state upon hearing her voice. "Fate-chan!" The girl greeted energetically while the others just shrugged and shook their heads, much to the confusion of the just-arrived blonde.

"Right, let's make a move on already!" Hayate said and lead the way to the track field where most students were already gathered. "Oh, that's right," Shamal said as the group stood by the barricaded area near the track field, laden with massive coloured mats of red, blue, green, yellow and orange. A white tape ran in between, separating the mats from each other. "I forgot that we are in different teams."

It was tradition for students of Lyrical Academy to wear their house tees during their school's annual Sports Day, whereby all class A, B, C, D and E students, regardless of their year, were the red, blue, green, yellow and orange teams respectively. Students would have to compete in different sports to gain points for their teams and the winning team would be rewarded with a trophy and prize.

"You forgot even though you're wearing your house tee?" Signum teased, earning a huff from the short haired blonde. The two girls were in the green team, while Nanoha, Fate and Hayate were in the blue team and Vita in the red team.

"Guess that makes us rivals now," the pink-head said as she turned to the others. The girls then put their fists together and cheered.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The students quieted down as the student council president and vice-president stepped onto the makeshift stage. Putting a stray lock of hair behind her ears, the blonde president placed herself in front of the microphone to make her opening speech.

"…"

Silence filled the air as the girl tried again.

"…"

The purple haired vice-president stepped forward and gestured to the blonde before taking the device off its stand and switching it on. A muffled 'thank you, Suzuka' and 'you're welcome Arisa-chan' was heard before the vice-president returned to her position behind the president as the blonde began to speak.

"I would like to thank all students for being on time for the sports event and…" the girl trailed, reading the note in her hand. She then promptly crushed the paper and threw it aside. "Whatever. Let's start the event now!" The purple haired girl raised an air pistol and fired, signaling the start of Lyrical's annual Sports Day.

The throwing events went off without a hitch as each participant took their turn with the different teams cheering on from the sidelines. The cheers went up a notch when Vita fixated the crowd with her magnificent display of ungodly strength during shot put, throwing the heavy ball of lead as if it weighed nothing across the massive field and measuring a distance of twenty-five metres. She put up similar stunts for javelin and discus, blowing away any competitions with her outstanding records. In the end, she was rewarded with three gold medals around her neck, placing the red team in first place.

"No matter how many times I've seen it, I'm still amazed." Fate commented with awe.

"She's just good at throwing things," Hayate said with a laugh. "You should've seen her when she's at home."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Nanoha walked briskly towards the track where two girls seemed to be bickering. "Fate-chan! Signum! What happened?"

"Ask her yourself," the pink-head pointed a thumb at the blonde beside her. When Fate replied it was nothing, Signum answered for her. "She's competing in all the running events."

"What?" the brunette turned towards the blonde, surprised. "I thought you're only running in the 800-metres."

"Last minute changes," Fate sighed. "The team asked me to and I can't possibly turn them down. Everyone's really pumped up this year."

"You'll break if you push yourself to do the impossible." Signum rebuked with her arms crossed.

Nanoha couldn't help but to be worried for the blonde. Even though running was her forte, and the brunette had absolute faith in her that she'll win but no matter how invincible she was, the blonde can't possibly keep up with the other competitors if she ran in every event, her body won't be able to withstand it. More importantly, she didn't want her to over exert and tire herself out.

As if sensing her thoughts, Fate offered words of reassurance. "It's going to be fine. I have lots of stamina from years of running. I _am_ a member of the track team, you know."

A whistle was blown to signal the start of the 100-metres race. "You better head back, Nanoha." the blonde gave her friend a pat on the head and a little friendly shove as Nanoha reluctantly returned to the sidelines.

Fate and Signum took their positions along with the other runners, hands on the ground with bodies crouched and heads raised, staring intently at the finishing point, lifting their bodies when the starter raised his air pistol. And when it was fired, they made a dash for the finishing line with Fate in the lead and Signum right behind her, leaving the others in their dust. It was a neck and neck race as both girls sprinted towards the finishing line, unwilling to let the other bypass themselves. Just when they were about to cross the finish line, Fate increased her speed, taking two big steps towards the goal, earning her first place at record time of nine-point-twelve seconds.

"You're scary, you know that?" the pink-head heaved as she bent over with her hands on her knees. It was the only race that she had a chance at beating the blonde but still, she lost, by a mere second and placed second instead.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Fate grinned and stretched, preparing herself for the next race.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"No good," Hayate said as she bit her fingernail. "She's wearing out."

It was halfway through the 1500-metres and Fate was beginning to show signs of difficulty coordinating her steps as she ran, much to Nanoha and Hayate's anxiousness. She was fine when she ran the 800-metres, emerging first with yet another astounding record, but since the commencement of the 1500-metres, she had already faltered twice. Even though the blonde was currently in the lead, the other competitors were catching up fast.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon…" Nanoha chanted as her eyes followed every movement the blonde made. "Go, Fate-chaaan!" she screamed along with her team as Fate rounded the track, the runner from the yellow team close behind her. It was the final four metres and the yellow team competitor was swiftly gaining speed, closing the distance between herself and the blonde. Just as she was about to overtake Fate, the girl suddenly sprinted forward, pushing herself to the limits and made a race for the goal. The crowd roared as she crossed the finish line, giving the blonde a standing ovation for her exciting performance.

"She did it! She did it!" Nanoha and Hayate cheered as they hugged each other and jumped with joy. There was another huge round of cheers, whistles and applause as the blonde was awarded with gold medals for placing first in every race and turning the tables around, with the blue team in first position. They were still in celebrative mood when a voice boomed though the PA system.

"With the closure of the running events, it's time for a two hour lunch break. All students please report back to their respective houses once break is over!"

"I'll be right back!" Nanoha said to Hayate before running towards the tracks to find her blonde friend. It was hard to locate her, however, with the many students wandering about and forming crowds around the booths near the tracks. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the blonde a good distance away, standing against the wall of the school building. "Fate-chan!" she called as she made a move for the girl, stopping when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Fate-chan? But I thought you were-" she was cut short however when she turned towards the building, only to find that no one was there. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her?

"Something the matter?" Fate asked as she, too, looked in the same direction. The brunette shook her head. Pushing the matter in the back of her mind, she smiled and congratulated the blonde on her victories.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"It must be _Fate_…" Hayate snickered as she swung a piece of red cloth in front a pair of blushing brunette and blonde. Lunch break was long gone and the group was getting prepared for the next event. Nanoha grunted and grabbed the cloth from her friend's hand, bending down and tying it securely around her left ankle and Fate's right.

Why must the event staff choose red of all colours?

"Alright," the blonde coughed lightly, getting the attention of the brunette beside her. "Let's start our practice then."

They placed an arm around the other's waist, getting into position. Just as they were about to start, Signum and Shamal whooshed by them in a steady pace. Nanoha and Fate gaped at their flawless footwork.

"Had they been secretly training?" the brunette questioned Hayate who shook her head in reply.

"They must be pretty close to reach that level of teamwork," the blonde said, all the while observing the pair as they rounded a bend.

"Oh yes," Hayate said with a haughty laugh as she shared a knowing look with a grinning Vita. "They are very, _very _close indeed."

"Hey!" an event staff called out to them from a distance. "Please take your places! The race is about to start!"

"But we haven't even practiced." Nanoha protested.

"Don't worry," Fate said as she led the brunette to the starting line. "We've already practiced many times before."

Different coloured pairs took their spots on the track, waiting nervously for the starter to signal the start of the three legged race. Nanoha tensed when he raised his pistol. "Relax," her blonde partner whispered, air tickling the brunette's ear as Fate exhaled. "Just remember to start with your left with count-1 and right with count-2."

"On your mark," the starter began. "Get set," he pulled the trigger. "Go!"

Both girls started counting aloud as they sped down the track, their steps in perfect sync. They were doing rather well, placing third position, until the cloth around their ankles loosened and the brunette stumbled, who in turn tripped the blonde and they fell to the ground with a thud.

"The blue team is out of the race!"

"Ow," Nanoha winced when she tried to stand. "I think I've sprained my ankle."

"I'll bring you to the infirmary." Fate said, worry evident in her voice as she slung the brunette's arm around her shoulders and supported her weight against her own body. She felt her heart clench when she saw the sheer disappointment on Nanoha's face.

'_Just when we had trained so hard too…'_

"Fate!" both heads turned and Nanoha felt a prick in her nerves when she saw who it was. "Are you alright?"

"Chrono," the blonde regarded the boy before her. "I'm fine but Nanoha's hurt and in need of medical attention."

"I'll help," the boy offered and slung Nanoha's other arm around his shoulders much to the brunette's discomfort. "Does it still hurt that badly, Nanoha?"

A brown brow twitched.

"Takamachi."

"Excuse me?"

"My _last name_ is Takamachi."

The walk to the infirmary was made in silence as none dared to speak due to Nanoha's extremely darkened face. After the nurse had checked and bandaged up the now swollen ankle, she left, but not before ordering the brunette to stay in bed and rest while waiting for the day to end. An announcement requesting the assembly of participants for final event was made across the campus via the PA system.

"Looks like the relay is about to start," Nanoha rolled her eyes at Chrono for stating the obvious. "We have to go, Fate."

'_That's Testarossa to you, kid!' _the brunette sent a glare towards the dark haired boy in yellow. So he's in it too. _'Hope your team loses.'_

"I'll be back to get you once it's over." Fate was about to leave with Chrono when she grabbed her wrist. "Nanoha?"

"Ah… erm…" the brunette dragged. It was an act of impulse when she stopped the blonde. She felt a little miffed when she happened exchanged glances with Chrono. Then she blurted.

"Win it!"

Fate blinked at her words and smiled.

"I will."

"Promise?"

The blonde placed her hand on the brunette's. "I promise."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Fate-chan!" Hayate waved to the blonde. "Over here!"

The relay had already started when Fate arrived at the tracks. "How's Nanoha?" the chocolate haired girl inquired. "Except for a terribly swollen ankle, she's perfectly fine." The blonde replied and observed the teams who were running. "What's the status?"

"The first runners are already up as you can see," Hayate said with eyes fixed on the action. "The orange team is made up entirely of freshmen this year and all of them look pretty strong to me as compared to the other teams." A loud cheer erupted from the said team's side of the supporters as the baton was passed to the second runner. "It seems we have a bit of competition this year. Oh, look! Chrono's running." She said, nodding towards the yellow team's second runner.

When the blue team's second runner took off, Fate gave her friend a pat on the back as the chocolate haired girl took her position as the third runner. Hayate stretched out her arm and started to jog as her teammate closed the distance, breaking into a full sprint when the baton was passed. She quickly overtook two teams and placed second, as to the orange's first. Hayate ran with all her might and her efforts were rewarded when she caught up with the short, purpled haired freshman. "Take that!" she yelled as she dashed forward, leaving the girl behind as she raced towards her team's anchor.

With an outstretched hand, Fate grabbed the baton from Hayate and darted round the track, with the orange team's anchor close behind. She was crossing the halfway mark when sudden fatigue hit her, causing her to tumble slightly and finding it hard to breathe. Just when she thought she had fully recovered, the exhaustion from the morning's races was finally taking its toll on her as she struggled to maintain her speed. One misstep was all it took for the orange, twin tailed freshman to overtake her. The cheering from the sidelines turned on deaf ears as her vision blurred…

"Fate-chan!"

She snapped her head around and there she was, hopping dangerously along the sidelines as she shouted words of encouragement. It was at that moment that she remembered the promise that she had made to the brunette just a moment ago. The girl would be upset if she had lost, wouldn't she?

'_I don't want to disappoint her…'_

She began to regain her lost momentum.

'_A smile definitely suits her better…'_

She could feel energy pulsating throughout her body.

'_For that…'_

"I must win!" Fate roared and propelled forward with newfound strength, rapidly closing onto the orange haired anchor. She smirked at the girl's gasp when she caught up to her. There was no way she's going to let a freshman beat her at her own game. They were nearing the goal and the girl had yet to back down, almost overtaking the blonde from time to time.

Both girls charged as they crossed the finish line.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The event ended later than expected. In the end, Fate managed to keep her promise and emerged victorious. She was even awarded the Most Valuable Player award at the closing ceremony. The blue team won the entire event hands down and was awarded with a trophy and an all-you-can-eat buffet at the local restaurant. The sun was already setting by the time the students had evacuated the area, leaving Nanoha and Fate alone at the sidelines.

"Nyahaha," the brunette laughed sheepishly as she wobbled away from the track field with the blonde aiding her. "Thanks for waiting with me."

"You're welcome," her blonde friend replied with a smile. "It isn't convenient for you to leave earlier anyway, with all that rushing and stuff."

It took them a quite awhile to reach the school gates. Nanoha pouted when she saw that the area was empty.

"They left already? And here I thought we could go to that buffet and celebrate."

"You're still in the mood to do that when your ankle's all bloated?" Fate teased and chuckled at the playful glare that was directed at her. "Didn't the nurse order you to stay in bed?"

Nanoha blushed. "I-I did but I just had to, you know, see to it that you guys do your best in the relay." They paused their walking when the blonde stopped.

"Fate-chan?"

"Nanoha," the blonde started, burgundy piercing intensely into the brunette's amethyst orbs. "I would've honestly lost the relay without you. Just when I was about to give up, I heard your shouts, giving me the strength to continue. It was because of you that I had won." Her gaze softened as her voice became a whisper. "And for that, I thank you."

Nanoha was lost for words as she stared at the blonde before her. The setting sun had cast an orange glow on Fate's feature, further illuminating the blonde's beautiful golden locks. She had looked absolutely stunning at that moment.

"Yo-you're welcome…" the brunette managed to choke out.

They stayed like that for the longest time, waiting for the other to make just the slightest movement. Then, they giggled.

"For a moment, I thought Hayate was going to appear."

"Same here."

"Hey!" a voice came as said girl appeared from behind some bushes with the rest of their friends. "I heard that!"

* * *

Author's note: that's the longest chapter i've written so far lol.


	6. Chapter 5: Jealousy and Apology

Author's note: Thank you all who read and reviewed :) here's chapter 5 of Lyrical Academy. Things are starting to get a little complicated.

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Lyrical Academy

Chapter 5  
~Jealousy and Apology~

Nanoha sighed as she waited for Fate by the shoe lockers. They had agreed to walk home together after their club activities earlier that day. A smile graced her lips as she reminisced about the thrilling sports event that had ended with a heartwarming speech by her blonde friend. They had been even closer since then, chatting on the phone every other night and hanging out together on weekends. But what made her happier was that the blonde had opened up more and was willing to share rather sensitive issues with her which she never did before.

Amidst all the blissful memories, however, something about that day still bothered her. Who was that girl she saw near the school building? The uncanny alikeness to the blonde was too, well, disturbing. Was it really just a hallucination, a trick on the mind? Maybe it was the sun or the hot weather that had made her think that a person was standing there when in fact, there wasn't.

She glanced at the lunch box that was in her hands. It contained cookies that she had made during her club activity, hoping to give them to the blonde as a gift later. The brunette brightened when she heard footsteps coming her way. Her smile turned into a frown, then irritation, when she saw Chrono with Fate, joking and laughing, seemingly enjoying themselves as they made their way to the lockers. The blonde saw her first.

"Nanoha," Fate greeted and made a move for the brunette. "Did you wait long?"

"Not really," the girl lied as she shot daggers at the boy with her eyes. "I've made some cookies today and I thought that maybe you'd like them?"

Fate visibly shuddered but covered it up with a smile when the brunette gave her an inquisitive look. "Sure," she replied and took the container from her friend. "I'll have them when I get back home."

"It's great to see that your ankle's all better, _Takamachi_," Chrono joined in. The subtle emphasis would have been missed if one wasn't paying attention, much like the blonde. Nanoha, on the other hand, had caught it with annoyance. Deliberate or not, he had just placed himself on the darkest part of her blacklist. "Just a couple of weeks ago, you were still in need of crutches to get you _anywhere_."

If that was a joke, she didn't find it remotely funny, unlike himself who was grinning away like a Cheshire cat.

"Yeah," she said when Fate nudged her for a reaction. Apparently, she had been ignoring the boy since he spoke. Her brain went into overdrive as she thought of what else to say. "Ha-ha."

Okay. That was stupid. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't come up with anything, simply because she just didn't want to speak to him. Or even see him. Don't be mistaken though, she's usually very easygoing and loves making friends, but something about Chrono just makes her dislike him.

He must have caught on the brunette's discomfort because he finally decided to excuse himself, stating that he had something on and would have to leave at once. "See you around, Fate. And you too, Takamachi." With a wave, he left the premises.

"I'd rather not." Nanoha muttered under her breath and made a face, which didn't go unnoticed to the blonde beside her.

"You're doing it again," Fate said disapprovingly. "Why is it that you've been giving him the looks every time you see him?"

"I don't know?" the brunette shrugged off the question with a laugh. She really didn't want to fallout with her friend over some guy. "Maybe it's his face?" she tried again when the blonde didn't buy it. "It's just too round for a guy. Nyahaha."

"That's it?" Fate asked incredulously. "Goodness, Nanoha. Do you know how taxing it is to be sandwiched between the two of you? He asked me once if he'd done you wrong and I couldn't come up with something to answer with."

"Why are you sticking up to him?" the words came out before Nanoha could stop herself. "What is he to you?"

"He's just a friend," the blonde replied with an exasperate sigh. "And I'm not sticking up to anyone. I just want everyone to get along with each other."

"Don't bother," the brunette retorted. "Because that would never happen."

"I just wanted to know why you hate him so much," Fate tried again. "There's bound to be a reason or two, right?"

"What is it to you?" Nanoha huffed, turning away from the blonde.

"Because I care about your thoughts and your feelings," she replied with such honesty that she surprised even herself. A blush crept up her cheeks when the brunette stared at her wide eyed. She added quickly, "As a friend, of course."

"W-well," Nanoha started with the slightest hint of pink on her own cheeks. "I just don't like the way he gets so close to you and looks at you with those freakish eyes of his when you're together."

"Oh," Fate said, feeling fidgety. Was she the only one who found the conversation similar to that of a confession of sorts? And the blushing from the both of them weren't helping much either. "You're probably imagining things," she continued, acting nonchalant. "He's really not that bad of a guy."

"You're sticking up to him again," the brunette pointed out lividly. Before another wave of heated exchange took place, Nanoha opened her locker to get her shoes, as well as signaling to the blonde that it was the end of their conversation. A green envelope fell out of the now opened locker and landed swiftly at the brunette's feet. The words 'To: Takamachi Nanoha' was written in neat, cursive handwriting.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Nanoha-chan! Your pan's on fire!"

The brunette snapped out of her reverie and quickly turned off the stove while Hayate came running with a bowl of water and put out the fire with a splash.

"Are you trying to burn down the entire kitchen?" one of the other club members said as she took a mob and dried the area. "Why don't you take a break and continue later?"

"Yeah, we won't want to die under your hands," Hayate joked, waiting for her friend to laugh. "I'll just go back to my cooking now." the girl said when nothing came.

Nanoha sighed as she took a seat by the window. It had been almost a week since she told her friends about the love letters that she had been receiving. It had happened a few days after Sports Day, before Fate made the discovery when it fell out of her locker. Hayate was just a little upset that she had kept it from her but Fate… it would seem that she took it rather hard for some reason and she had been acting weird since. Perhaps she's jealous? Nanoha scoffed at the idea.

'_She couldn't be. She has Chrono after all.'_

She stared out to the track field, only to find it strange when the blonde was nowhere to be seen. She checked the clock that was on the wall. It already was three in the afternoon. Odd, Fate should be at the tracks and running laps by now. Could something have happened? Maybe she had a fall and injured herself. The brunette had a sudden urge to visit the infirmary, just to be sure. She wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her now that the midterms were nearing.

"Hey," a voice came from outside the window. Nanoha blinked. There wasn't anyone near the window, so where was it coming from?

"Over here."

Nanoha pushed her body out the window and there she was, squatting by the wall below the windowsill and smiling embarrassedly up at her.

"Hi," Fate greeted with a small wave. "Taking a break?"

Despite telling herself to act aloof, Nanoha broke into a wide grin at the sight of a squatting Fate. She just looked so adorable in that position, glancing up with that crooked grin of hers and the slightest blush adorning her face.

"What about you?" the brunette asked with a laugh. It had been days since they had any close interaction and it felt really nice to hear her voice in such proximity again. "Skiving?"

"Not so loud," the blonde placed a finger at her lips, her face all serious. "The coach will hear you."

Nanoha rolled her eyes. "As if he could hear us from all the way over there," they gazed at each other for awhile before breaking into giggles. "Really," the brunette said. "What is it?"

"Well," Fate trailed, staring at the ground and poking the tip of her shoe before returning her gaze to Nanoha. "I was wondering if we could meet up later for a little chat."

The brunette hesitated before replying. "Will the classroom do? I left my textbook there and I need it for homework tonight."

"The classroom it is then," the blonde said, relieved that Nanoha had agreed.

"There you are, Testarossa!" the coach's voice boomed across the fields. "How long are you planning to stay there? Get back to your training!"

"Looks like I've been spotted," Fate grinned as she stood up. Now at her full height, she couldn't help but to be hyperaware of the closeness between their faces. And it looked like the brunette was having the same thought as a pink hue made its way across her face.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Oomph!" Nanoha fell on her bottom when she knocked into someone along the classroom corridors.

"I'm sorry!" the person she bumped into extended a hand and helped her up. "I wasn't looking at where I was going."

"It's okay," she said, dusting herself as she regarded the boy in front of her. He was about a head taller than she was, and a little on the thin side. He had bright emerald eyes and wore a pair of frameless glasses. Finally, he had his long, light khaki hair tied in a ponytail. "Are you alright?" she asked when his face paled all of a sudden.

"I-I'm fine. I'll be going now," he said and left in a hurry. A letter fluttered out of his bag and landed on the floor.

"Wait, you dropped something," Nanoha called after him as she picked it up. She felt a tingle up her spine when she noted that the envelope was green. Ever so slowly, she turned the envelope around and saw it: Her name, written clearly in cursive handwriting.

The boy turned abruptly at her call, but fled just as quickly when he saw the letter in her hands. Nanoha felt a little ticked when he ran from her. "Didn't you hear me?" she yelled as she gave chase. "I said wait!" she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around just before he turned the corner.

"Please don't hurt me!" he said, trembling.

"Are you the one who sent me the love letters?" the brunette asked.

"Y-yes," the boy answered. "M-my name is Yuuno Scrya, from class 3-E and I-I've been attracted to you ever since Sports Day."

Nanoha blushed at his straightforward confession. "Erm, well-"

"Never before had I seen someone like you," Yuuno interjected, feeling a sudden boldness. "You are so full of energy that it's contagious. Your smiles are so beautiful that they are dazzling."

The brunette scratched her cheek shyly. "I'm not really tha-"

"And the way you fell during the race… that was the most graceful fall that I had ever seen!"

Nanoha almost did a double take. Was there even such a thing? If falling flat on the ground and pulling your teammate down with you was considered as graceful, people wouldn't have felt the need to be embarrassed even when they just tripped.

"I really like you, Takamachi-san," Yuuno said as he took her hands in his. "Would you please go out with me?"

The girl just stared. He _was_ rather cute, if you looked closely enough, and likeable, even though he was a little weird and skinny. Emerald bored into amethyst as she contemplated on dating him.

"Let me consider?" it came out more of a question than an answer.

"I suppose it's better than an outright refusal," he said, obviously elated. "I have to go now. I'll contact you again when midterms are over." After having said that, he left and disappeared around the corner. How... anti-climatic. Nanoha was about to resume her walk to the classroom when she heard him say "I'm sorry!" from where he had gone.

She felt her throat went dry when Fate appeared from the corner. "So, he's the one?" the blonde asked when she stopped in front of the brunette.

"You've heard everything then?" she felt a little queasy when Fate just nodded her reply.

They were silent for a moment before the blonde spoke again. "Have you tasted any of the cookies that you gave me about a week ago?"

Nanoha was stupefied, having caught unaware by her sudden question. When she shook her head, the blonde sighed. "I thought so."

"Were they that bad?"

"No. They were great."

"You're such a bad liar," the brunette felt a grin creeping up her lips when the blonde cracked a smile of her own, realizing that Fate was just trying to ease the awkwardness away. "Is that all you want to chat about?"

"Not really," the blonde said as she returned the lunch box back to her friend. "How do I go about and say this," she scratched her head sheepishly. "I just wanted to apologize for ignoring you over the past few days. I don't know what came over me that made me treat you the way I did," the blonde half-smiled. "Forgive me, please?"

Nanoha felt her heart skip a beat for no reason. "Of course! Most definitely!"

The blonde appeared to have something else to say but decided not to at the last moment. Instead, she went to the door of the nearest classroom, quietly as possible. Nanoha looked on curiously as Fate gestured to her to stay where she was before placing a hand onto the door. Then without warning, she slid the door open, revealing a kneeling chocolate haired girl with her hand cupped around her ear.

"Heh," Hayate said as the blonde crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "I'm busted, aren't I?"

* * *

Author's note: this chapter took me much longer to write lol.


	7. Chapter 6: Perhaps, Probably, Possibly

Author's Note: really big thanks to all who read and reviewed :) here's chapter six of Lyrical Academy! Fate starts to question herself.

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* * *

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**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Six  
~Perhaps, Probably, Possibly~

Precia Testarossa sipped her coffee. "Stop fiddling with your phone while at the dining table."

Fate had been busying with her cell phone that she had barely poked her fork into her breakfast. Judging by the tone of her voice and the slight creasing of her brows, it was best to be obedient and listen to mummy. She immediately placed the device aside and popped a piece of sausage between her lips as her mother returned to her newspaper reading. A buzz indicated the arrival of a new text message. Papers were once again brought down to shoulder level of an irritated taupe haired woman. The blonde met her gaze and gave an apologetic look.

"Pohese osuse muee."

"Chew and swallow before you speak, Fate," she reprimanded.

Just like any well behaved child would do - unless they desired the wrath of an angry parent – she did as she was told, even making sure to chew it twenty times before swallowing. She tried again. "Please excuse me."

The blonde flipped her cell phone and sighed when she saw that the sender was Chrono, again, for the seventh time since the moment her eyes opened. It read:

_It sucks right? I knew it. Anyway, since today's Sunday, would you like to meet up and study a bit before midterms? Please say yes! (xD)_

Fate bit her lip. Should she accept the offer or decline it? If she did, the chain of messages would definitely come to an end as it seemed that meeting up was the reason why he started the relentless mailing in the first place. Though peace and quiet was a tempting choice, she couldn't shrug off the feeling that there was more to it than just a simple study meet.

Ever since her little disagreement with Nanoha, she had been doing some self-reflection and thinking about the relationship between Chrono and herself. She was sure that the feelings she had for the boy were only that of friendship. But what if the brunette was right? That he was hoping for something other than their current affiliation, although in a more childish way.

'_I just don't like the way he gets so close to you and looks at you with those freakish eyes of his when you're together'_, was what she had said.

There was a squeeze in her chest when she thought about Nanoha. She felt hurt when the girl kept the love letters incident from her. But more importantly, she had also felt an unknown sense of dread over the news. Overwhelmed by the strange emotion, she underwent a period of ignoring her friend. And when she had come to a resolution of making up with her, she just had to overhear Yuuno Scrya's passionate confession for the brunette, setting her heart into turmoil once again.

The blonde swore that she had been experiencing plenty of odd emotions since her friendship with Nanoha began. She even had an urge to shake the girl by the shoulders and tell her "Don't! He's not suitable for you!" back then, when they were alone at the classroom corridors.

She sighed again.

Precia raised an eyebrow. "You've been doing that a lot lately."

"Doing what?" yet another sigh escaped her lips.

"Sighing," her mother replied and took a sip of coffee. "The flowers will wilt if you keep doing that."

Fate glanced at the vase of roses sitting in the middle of the dining table.

"It's a joke," Precia said.

"I-I know that," retorted a red faced blonde. "It's just human reaction."

The older woman folded the papers and set it aside. "Has something been bothering you these days?" when nothing came, she continued, "Is it school?" there was no reply. "Relationships?"

"W-what?"

Bull's eye!

"So, who is it?" she asked, very curious. "Is it the boy who caused the misunderstanding between you and your friend? What's his name…" she pondered, "was it Lionel or Juno?"

"His name is Chrono."

"Oh. Right," said Precia. "So, what about him?"

"Nothing," her daughter replied. "We are just friends."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely?"

"Cross my heart."

"Must be Nanoha-chan then."

"Uh-huh," she said and cupped her mouth, horrified.

Precia smirked. "I see. You like your _girl_ friend."

"Mother!" the blonde exclaimed. There was surely and positively no truth in that.

_Or is there?_

She shook her head. She couldn't believe she had just doubted herself. Sure, there were times that she felt especially self conscious around the brunette. And the way her heart would skip a beat at her smiles. Also, the nervousness she felt when their bodies were so close during the three legged race. Or how she felt the world stopping when she heard that the girl would consider a relationship with Yuuno Scrya…

Her face paled.

"Feeling the rush of reality a little too much to handle?" Precia teased.

Fate cleared her throat. "We wouldn't be friends if I don't, at the least, like her." Even when she's saying that, she was actually screaming inside. That can't be true. She had not fallen in love with her best friend, who happens to be a girl and a rather cute one.

She blinked rapidly. She _did not_ just mention that Nanoha's cute. Burgundy eyes flicked to the forgotten cell phone. The study meet with Chrono doesn't seem to be such a bad idea now. It could take her mind off the thoughts.

There was a buzz. A new text message had made it into her Inbox.

_To: Fate T.  
From: Nanoha  
--------------------_

_Fate-chan! (^o^) Are you free today? I'm dying from facing the books alone (-_-|||) Can I come over to your house and do a little studying together? (^____^)_

_--------------------  
End of message._

Fate almost sobbed when she found herself replying the message with a 'Sure! I'm free! Let's study!'.

"So the crush is coming over," Precia said as she peeped from behind.

"Mother!" the usually calm and collected blonde was now edgy and flustered.

"If only your sister's home right now," the woman chuckled, her hand over her lips. "She would definitely tease you to no end!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Good afternoon," Nanoha greeted with a bow when Precia answered the door. "My name is Takamachi Nanoha and I'm here to study with Fate-chan for the coming midterms."

"Good afternoon to you too," the woman stepped aside to allow the brunette to enter. "Please, come in."

"Sorry to intrude," the girl said as she took off her shoes and slipped on the soft cotton slippers that Precia had presented her with.

"Have a seat while I tell Fate about your arrival," the woman gestured to the couches in the center of the room. Nanoha sat and sank into the soft, fluffy couch laden with matching feathery pillows. She flinched when Precia's voice echoed throughout the room. "Fate! Nanoha-chan is here!"

A thud, followed by a yelp and sound of quick footsteps were heard from the floor above before Fate padded down the stairs, red faced. "You don't have to shout, Mother," she said, rubbing her sore foot ruefully. The blonde was surprised by her mother's yell and in her hurry; had bumped into the low table that she had placed for revision purposes.

"I was afraid you won't be able to hear with your door closed," Precia said, amused.

"Fate-chan," Nanoha stood and greeted with a smile.

"Na-Nanoha," the girl regarded her friend. The summer season had arrived and the brunette was dressed in a modest white sundress that reached just below her knees. Her smooth brown tresses were worn down instead of its usual side-ponytail and a blue headband adorned her head. Fate, on the other hand, was casually dressed in a black button up shirt and a pair of khaki coloured slacks with her hair tied up in a high ponytail. She felt a little underdressed. "Erm, let's go to my room now, shall we?"

"I'll bring some drinks later," Precia said as the girls went up the stairs.

"It's so cool that your entire house is air conditioned," Nanoha mused.

"Only during summer," the blonde said as she led the brunette along the corridor. "Welcome to my room," she said, opening the door to her bedroom.

"Wow. It's so… mature looking," the brunette commented when she stepped into the room. The walls were painted white and graced with shelves of books and a huge wardrobe. A black laptop was placed neatly on the surface of a dark coloured table by the windows, together with a grey coloured office chair. A bed with dark blue sheets was positioned on the side and a 40-inch plasma TV decorated the wall across of it.

"I think 'simple' is more appropriate," Fate chuckled and sat on a cushion by the low table in the center of the room. Nanoha followed suit, taking the adjacent spot and began to place the materials for her revision on the table. The blonde asked, "What subject are you covering today? I'll do the same."

"History," the brunette replied as she took out the painfully thick book from her shoulder bag. "I fell asleep a couple of times when I started."

"I know what you mean," Fate said.

"Maybe we'll end up sleeping together, nyahaha," Nanoha joked as the blonde turned crimson at the unintended yet suggestive sentence. The conversation she had with her mother in the morning flashed through her mind. To distract herself, Fate got up and went to one of the shelves and grabbed her textbook, using the moment to clear her mind before returning to her place by the table.

"So… did you ask Hayate whether she would join us?" the blonde asked, in need of a diversion.

The brunette nodded. "Yup, but she said she'd rather stay home and study with her cousins than die from the heat by coming here."

There was a knock and the door opened as Precia entered the room with a tray of drinks. "I've brought you girls iced tea."

"Thank you, Testarossa-san," Nanoha said politely.

"Please, call me Precia," the woman smiled and left the jug and glasses of drink on the table.

"Let's start then," Fate said as she flipped through her book.

It was silent, save for the rustling of paper and clicking of pens as the girls began their revision. They were only into a minute or two when the blonde started to lose focus.

"Is there something you need, Mother?" she asked Precia who was still standing there.

"Not at all! Please don't mind me and carry on," she replied with a hint of hilarity.

'_She's doing it on purpose,' _the blonde thought. She had to come up with something to make her mother leave. "Aren't there unfinished chores to do, Mother? You've left them halfway done when Nanoha arrived."

"You're right," the woman said, feigning surprise. "I'll take my leave now. Study hard, girls."

Nanoha let out the breath she had been holding once she left. "Does your mother stare at every guest your house gets? I can almost feel her gaze boring through my back."

Fate laughed it off and they resumed their revision. Hours passed without much notice, until the brunette let out a groan. The blonde diverted her attention to her friend. "Something wrong?"

"I can't get this section into my brain," she sighed.

"Let me see," Fate said and Nanoha pushed the book towards her. "Oh. There's an easier way to remember this."

The blonde took a pen and paper and started scribbling. "All you have to do is to draw a timeline to help youself remember." Her body tensed when the brunette leaned near her, their arms brushing against each other. She could smell her lavender hair conditioner at the close proximity. The girl stole a glance at the brunette's face and blushed. She looked adorable when she's serious.

Her heart raced.

"I brought some snacks," Precia announced as the door swung open. "My, my. Did something happen?" she asked when the blonde jumped a few inches away from the brunette.

"Nothing happened," Fate replied after she had composed herself. She turned to Nanoha, "Why don't we have a break?"

"That's a great idea," her mother clapped and sat on her bed, ignoring the glare her daughter directed at her. She grabbed the remote from the bedside table and switched the TV on. A romance flick was currently showing on the screen.

"How touching," Precia said when the commercials were on. "They are just so in love with each other."

"It's kind of sappy though," Fate commented and took a bite of cracker.

"Do you have someone you like, Nanoha-chan?"

Fate almost choked at the question her mother had directed at the brunette.

"Well… not really," Nanoha scratched her cheek sheepishly.

"'Not really' means there's a possibility that you do have someone in mind, doesn't it?" the woman grinned. "Who's the lucky boy?" she took a quick glance at Fate and continued, "Or lucky girl?"

"Mother!" the blonde exclaimed, red in the face.

"What? Does it really have to be a boy and not a girl? I'll have you know that I'm actually pretty open-minded about these things," Precia said.

"Really, Precia-san? Don't you think it's strange for… well… two people of the same sex to be together?" Nanoha asked.

"There is no boundary when it comes to love," the older woman said. "What about you? Can you accept it?"

Fate appeared to be a little uptight as she waited for the brunette's reply.

"I… don't really know," Nanoha hesitated. "I just find it too weird. And my parents would throw a fit if I ever sway that way, nyahaha."

-o-o-o-o-o-

After giving her paper a final check, Fate packed her writing materials and grabbed her bag. She walked to the front of the classroom and handed the paper to Lindy before leaving through the door. With a sigh, she slide it closed. She almost screamed when Hayate suddenly appeared beside her.

"Where are we going?" she asked when the chocolate haired girl pulled her by the wrist.

"Just follow me," the girl replied.

They stopped at the top of a stairwell behind the school building. "And we are here for?" the blonde inquired while her friend checked her wristwatch.

"She should be done with her paper by now," Hayate said and immediately crouched on the ground, pulling Fate down with her as they hid behind a parapet when she spotted someone arriving at the empty lot below. Both girls peeked over the low parapet cautiously.

The blonde quirked an eyebrow, "Yuuno Scrya? What is he doing here?"

"Have you forgotten? Nanoha-chan is supposed to give her reply today," Hayate reminded.

"Oh."

"Nanoha-chan's here!" the chocolate haired girl whispered as said girl made her way towards the bespectacled boy.

The girls craned their necks, attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Ergh! Just look at him!" Hayate hissed as Yuuno took Nanoha's hands into his and stared intensely at her. "He's obviously trying to pressure her into dating him."

"And it looks like it worked," Fate said, unable to hide the discontentment in her voice when the girl gave a nod and the boy cheering at her response.

Fate and Hayate came out of their hiding spot when Nanoha and Yuuno left the area. "They won't last long," the chocolate haired girl said.

"How would you know?"

"They aren't even the least compatible," Hayate replied. "Trust me," she said when Fate gave her a skeptical look. "Just wait and see."

The blonde just hummed in reply.

"And when they do break up, which will definitely happen soon, you _are_ going to do _something_ about it right?"

Fate stared at her. _'How did she…'_

As if she read her thoughts, Hayate winked, "It's a secret."

* * *


	8. Chapter 7: Gone was the Denseness

Author's note: Plenty of thanks to all who read and reviewed. There has been a lot of distractions going on around me lol.

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**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Seven  
~Gone was the Denseness~

Passersby stared as they strolled past. Some eyed curiously. Others pointed and whispered. Children giggled while parents glowered disapprovingly and pulled their kids away. Even with all the attention they were getting, the two mustached men dressed in caps and long oversized coats with a pair of tinted shades on their noses were indifferent as they remained hunkered down behind a line of shrubs overlooking the train station. The caps and shades were fine but no one in their right minds would wear coats during summer. And with their current crouched position, they were very suspicious looking. It's a wonder that nobody had informed the police yet. Eyebrows continued to rise upwards as more people walked by.

A young man who happened to pass by from behind had slipped and fell when he overheard one of the men speaking femininely.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" the man with the taller built said, his blonde mustache twitched with every movement of his jaws.

"A hundred percent," the other man with the brown mustache replied in an equally girly voice. "Look! He's here!" he said when a ponytailed, light khaki haired boy arrived near the station entrance.

Blonde Mustache surveyed the surrounding area. "She's not here yet."

His partner held up a hand, "Patience, my friend," and checked his wristwatch, "she should be here in about fifteen minutes."

The men waited. Beads of sweat rolled down their cheeks under the intense glare of the midmorning sun as they started hyperventilating. Blonde Mustache swayed.

"I'm feeling faint," he said weakly, body falling to the side.

"Hang in there," Brown Mustache said and held his friend in his arms.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to," Blonde Mustache whispered as his eyes threatened to close, only to sprung wide open when he spotted a side-ponytailed brunette tottering out from the station and stopping in front of the light khaki haired boy. "T-they are holding hands!" he sputtered at the sight of them walking off hand in hand. "Let's go!" he shot upright and pursued the couple's retreating backs.

"I thought you were fainting?" Brown Mustache chuckled as he grabbed his backpack and followed suit.

They tracked a distance behind the pair cautiously, hiding behind trees and in between billboards when they were almost spotted. The men came to a halt outside the fancy looking restaurant that their targets had just gone into. The headwaiter eyed them skeptically.

"A table for two, please," Brown Mustache said, gruffly as possible.

The headwaiter remained apprehensive as he stood there, unmoving.

He tried again.

"I said a _table_ for _two_, please," he said, pointing two fingers at him for punctuation. Not a reaction. "Is this how you treat your patrons? I wonder how you got the job with that attitude of yours. I demand you to let us in or I'll complain to your manager!"

His friend shook him by the shoulder, trying to get his attention. "What?" he said and Blonde Mustache pointed. He touched the area on his face that his friend was pointing at. Then, he felt it. "Oh," he said, his half-fallen mustache flapping against his chin. He slowly turned and met the cold eyes of the headwaiter.

"Just for fun," Hayate laughed nervously as she peeled off the faux facial hair. "A little cosplaying, you know."

Fate sighed and stripped off hers as well.

After discarding their caps, shades and overcoats, they were finally granted entry. They took in the grandiose interior of the restaurant, marveling at the silk clad cushioned chairs and tables, the exotic looking lamps and exquisite paintings that dotted the walls as a waiter led them to a table. The girls requested a corner table when they caught sight of their targets seated by the windows. Menus were passed and glasses of iced water were placed on the table.

"I'll be taking your orders when you're ready, ladies." The waiter bowed and left.

Fate peered over the top of her menu. "Looks like they already placed their orders," she said, eyeing Nanoha and Yuuno. It seemed that the boy had made a joke as the brunette threw her head back and laughed. She frowned and took a gulp of water, crunching the ice between her teeth. A low whistle from the girl beside her diverted her attention.

"I know this is an expensive place but still," Hayate said, browsing through the menu, "the prices are hellishly steep. Look at this," she pointed at a page for the blonde to see. "A stew for forty bucks? What's it made of? Liquid gold?" she shook her head and flipped the page. "He must've been born with wads of bills to afford dining in place like this."

Her friend hummed. "The prices look alright to me."

"Oh, right. I forgot that you're astoundingly rich as well."

The waiter came back with a notepad and pen. "May I take your orders now?" he smiled, almost blinding them with his pearly whites.

"Ah, well, let's see," Hayate said as she tried to locate the least expensive item on the menu.

"We'll have two sets of the Lobster Lunch Special," Fate said.

Her friend's jaw dropped while the waiter beamed. "Excellent choice!" he said, smiling brightly as he took the menus and left. The girls rubbed their eyes, having stared directly at the twin rows of sparkly teeth.

"Ordering such an expensive dish," Hayate started as she blinked to clear her vision, "are you out of your mind?"

"Don't worry," Fate replied, regaining her eyesight. "It's my treat."

"That's not what I meant," she said. "You don't have to be so extravagant even though you have the money, you know."

The blonde smirked, "Really? I thought that's what you wanted since you're staring at it just a moment ago."

Having caught red handed, she coughed distractingly and took a sip of water as she returned to her "Nanoha x Yuuno" spying. It was their first date and the girls were curious. Well, the chocolate haired girl was. The blonde was practically dragged from her house and forced to be her accomplice in the mission. Although Fate had vehemently opposed to it in the first place, she knew that deep down inside the blonde was anxious and concerned about the date.

She noticed that they were already digging in their lunch – steak lunch, to be precise.

"He's cutting up the meat for her," Hayate said. "He's more meticulous than I thought."

Fate huffed, "I can do that too."

"Yeah and then you'll feed her with a piece- Whoa!" she exclaimed when the boy did exactly what she had said. The girl, however, rejected his offer politely. Both girls sighed with relief. The blonde took a long swill of water and crunched more ice.

"You'll spoil your teeth if you keep doing that," Hayate said.

Their orders arrived not a moment too soon. "Two Lobster Lunch Specials," the same waiter announced as he placed the plates of giant seafood on the table. "Enjoy your meal." The girls looked elsewhere as the waiter smiled before taking his leave, lest they wished to be blinded again. They wondered what brand of toothpaste he's using.

Hayate rubbed her palms together. "It looks awesome," she took her knife and fork and paused. "How about showing me your meticulous side by helping me with this lobster?"

"Sorry," Fate grinned. "You're on your own."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Did you enjoy your meal?" Yuuno asked his date.

"Yup," Nanoha replied with a nod.

They had just left the restaurant and were doing some window-shopping. The brunette had to admit that the food was extremely delectable and was a little surprised that the boy turned out to be the son of a famous archeologist but other than that, it was rather bland. All he talked about was rocks and boulders. She even had to force herself to laugh at his not funny jokes.

She vaguely wondered if she should continue the relationship with him.

Aside from that, she couldn't shrug off the feeling that she was being watched the whole time, from the train station to the restaurant, though the feeling was gone soon after they started eating.

"Hey," Yuuno paused when they came across a cinema, "how about a movie?"

"Sure," she said and glanced through the different now-showing movie posters. A particular title caught her eye. "Shall we catch Riot Force Six?" She had wanted to watch it when she first saw its promo video on TV, even babbling nonstop about it to Fate.

The thought of her blonde friend made her a little down. She had been experiencing a sense of guilt ever since she accepted Yuuno's courtship, even doubting her choice at times, especially when she saw the look in those burgundy orbs of hers every time their eyes met. It was strange. Why did she feel like she had just betrayed the blonde when she hadn't really done anything wrong?

_Or did she?_

"How about catching An Archeologist's Path instead?" Yuuno interrupted her train of thoughts. "I'm not really into action flicks."

"Okay."

If Nanoha was disappointed, she hid it really well.

Yuuno bought the tickets. There wasn't a need to wait too long as the movie was set to air in five minutes time. They gave their tickets to the person at the checkpoint who ripped a side off before returning the rest of it back and allowing them entry to the theater. The lights were already dimmed when they went inside. It took them a moment to find their seats, almost stepping on the feet of others as they crossed from one end of the center aisle to the two empty seats near the other end. The movie had started rolling by the time they had settled in.

They were only twenty minutes into the movie and Nanoha had already yawned for the eleventh time. Her eyelids felt heavy as she fought to stay awake, head tilting from side to side. A string of saliva was threatening to drool from the corner of her slightly gaped mouth. It wasn't long before she gave up and inch by inch, her eyes fluttered close. Her flaccid body immediately shot upright as she turned to the boy beside her, who gasped at a particular scene. She sighed and took a peek around her. Most of the other viewers were either half asleep or snoring away. One even slipped off his seat.

She returned her gaze to the screen and hoped that the movie was a short one.

In the end, it ran for a total of full three – torturing - hours. The brunette had never been happier to see the light when they finally left the cinema and set foot on the streets. She stretched and took a deep breath of air as they strolled down the pavement for more window-shopping, with not much conversation going on. It was getting a little awkward.

"The movie was great wasn't it?" Yuuno spoke up, breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah. The ending's great too." She lied, having spent most of the time dozing off, not that the boy ever noticed as he was too engrossed in the movie.

"Really? I personally felt that it could've been better especially when…"

"Oh!" she interjected when she saw a leather clad mannequin on display in one of the shop windows. She loved to wear one but she knew it was out of her league; she didn't have the looks, body or confidence.

But there was someone who fit all three categories.

"Fate-chan would look great in this." The mere thought of the blonde in a tight black leather suit made her a little lightheaded.

Yuuno asked, "You're close friends with Testarossa, huh?"

"_Best_ friends," she corrected.

"It must be great to know someone such as herself," he said and started listing the blonde's attributes, "I mean she's smart."

Nanoha nodded in agreement. "Yes, she is."

"She's undeniably beautiful."

"Absolutely gorgeous."

"She has a to-die-for body."

"I couldn't agree more."

"She's kind and gentle."

"I love that part of her the most." She felt a little sense of pride as the list went on. She didn't even mind a bit that her date was singing praises of another girl – her best friend - right in front of her.

"She's caring and helpful."

"Very."

"She's the dream of almost every male in the school."

"So true- Wait," she held up a hand as she digested the information, "what do you mean by that?"

"You didn't know?" he said, surprised. "The guys in our school worshipped her, willing to kiss her foot if she'd asked them to. She even has her own fan club." He shivered when the brunette's face darkened. "You're not bad yourself. You have your own appeals too. That's the reason why I'm attracted to you," he said, hoping that she would forgive him for talking about another girl other than herself.

Nanoha, on the other hand, wasn't even paying attention. Her mind swirled with the discovery of just how popular the blonde was among the boys and somehow, she felt threatened by it. One Chrono was enough but the entire male student body? That's not good. Fate might just fall for one of them anytime soon.

The sudden act of smacking her cheeks made the boy jump.

What was she thinking? It was almost as if she's afraid that Fate would run off with a random guy. Almost like a jealous and possessive freak. Almost like a girl who just realized she's in love with her best friend.

_Oh no…_

Was that the reason why she felt the nonsensical guilt and betrayal to the blonde? Why she disliked Chrono the instant she set her eyes on him? Why she discerned herself with every single thing the blonde had done, said, eaten, drank, what time she sleeps and wakes… the list was endless.

Hayate was right.

"_The problem is that you're in love with her and yet you're denying it," _the girl had said during lunch one day.

She bobbed her head. It was clear as day that she held special feelings for her friend. She wondered how she could be so obvious and be just as oblivious about it at the same time. No wonder Hayate was frustrated with her back then when she had confronted her about her feelings for Fate; she was dense, too dense. She could even be deemed as the eighth wonder of the world because of it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar blonde figure across the streets. She squinted and true enough, it was Fate, the girl that her mind was filled with at the moment. She hid behind a tree, feeling an unknown need to do so.

"Hey, that's Testarossa," Yuuno said as he hid himself too. Nanoha noted that she had forgotten about his presence. He pointed at the boy who was advancing towards the blonde, "And is that Chrono Harlaown?"

She blinked and took a closer look. He was right. It was the dark haired boy.

_Her rival._

The boy greeted Fate and they started conversing with each other. Nanoha's eyes widened when Chrono extended a hand, almost touching the blonde's face…

"What are you doing?" she asked when Yuuno pulled her away by the hand.

"We shouldn't be spying on them," he said.

Nanoha frowned.

They weren't on a date, were they?

-o-o-o-o-o-

Fate backed away.

His hand hung in the air for a moment before slipping it into his jean's pocket. "Your hair's stuck to your cheek."

"Oh," she said and put the damp lock of gold behind her ear. She was sweating from the heat.

"Are you waiting for someone?" Chrono asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied.

Fate and Hayate had lost Nanoha and Yuuno after lunch, being too absorbed in their meal that they had forgotten to keep an eye on the couple, only to realize that they had left when they were done eating. They searched almost every mall around the area but caught no sight of the pair. Hayate had left when she spotted a Nanoha look-alike and while she waited for her friend's return as well as looking out for the brunette, Chrono came walking by.

"Not a boyfriend I hope," he joked and then turned serious, "because if you ever have one, that person will be me," he grinned. "You will go out with me, won't you?"

That was unexpected.

"Erm… about that…" she drawled, taking a step back. There was something peculiar about him and the way he stared at her.

"Would you like a tissue?" a bald, slouching, beer bellied old man with huge sunglasses intercepted between them as he pushed the packet of tissue against Chrono.

He sidestepped, "No thanks."

Old baldy sidestepped too, "Tissue?"

"I said no," he said and tried to move forward and was blocked by the old man.

"Please take a tissue?"

"Argh!" he said and snatched it from his hand, frustrated. "There! Happy?"

Old baldy took out another packet, "Would you like one more?"

"Fine! You win!" he snapped at the old man. He turned to Fate. "I'm serious about what I said before and I'll give you till the end of summer to think about it." With that said, he left.

"He's so pushy," old baldy said as he straightened his back and stretched.

Fate asked, "Hayate?"

"That's right," she said and took of the bald cap. "Whew, this thing's frying my head."

"You sure have plenty of weird accessories."

"Want to see more?" she said as she took out her backpack from under her old man shirt.

She made a face. "No thanks."

"What are you going to do about Chrono?"

"Let's not talk about him now," the blonde waved it off. "Any luck with Nanoha and Yuuno?"

"Nope," she said and slung her arm around the blonde when she sighed. "Don't worry. From the way I see it, their relationship is a gone case."

"It's only their first date."

"And it shall be their last."

Fate quirked an eyebrow. "Are you an oracle or something?"

She grinned, "I'm just Hayate."

* * *

Author's note: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :)


	9. Chapter 8: Confessions and Rejections

my mom had just taken a look at herself in the mirror and said "wow... it's been a long time since i've seen myself." lol.

Author's note: many thanks to all who read and reviewed :)

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**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Eight  
~Confessions and Rejections~

She almost jerked backwards at the sight of his face.

"Nanoha," he regarded her with a grave expression. He seemed awful. Dark bags hung under his once – now bloodshot – bright emerald eyes and his skin appeared to be paler and pastier than normal, not that he was any rosier or full of colour to begin with. And with his slightly slouched body and skinny stature, he looked like a walking, talking, whitish bendy straw.

"Yuuno-kun…" the brunette hesitated on whether or not to get on with what she'd planned to say. She had been brushing him off deliberately since their date in summer and it's the fall season now - it was time.

And from the look of his solemn face, she supposed he probably had guessed what she was going to tell him in the next moment.

"I got a feeling this scenario would play out sooner or later," he said, his voice raspy. "The point of you calling me here is to discuss about us, isn't it?"

"Yes," she said and took a breath. "What I wanted to say is that I don't think we should continue this relationship. I'm sorry to say this but," she frowned when the boy sniffed. "Let's break up."

"Why?" he asked, his eyes watering, the unshed tears glimmering. "We've only been on one single date. Are you that unhappy with me? Or was it something I did?" He paused and groaned. "I knew it. It's because I was praising Testarossa that time, wasn't it?"

"No, that's not it," she said, shaking her head from side to side, though she felt like replying with a 'yes' to the unhappy part; having almost bored the life out of her during their date. She should be thanking him for it was he who made her realized her true feelings for the blonde girl. But of course, she couldn't, and wouldn't, tell him that.

He snuffled, "Then why?"

She gave him a half smile. "Let's just say we're a mistake to begin with."

Yuuno lowered his head, eyes hidden underneath his bangs, his body shaking. He brought a hand to his face and sniveled. The poor guy - he took it so hard and now he's crying. She sighed and took a step forward, putting her hand on his trembling shoulder and patting it sympathetically.

He sneezed; again and again, for three consecutive times.

She quickly retracted her hand and jumped a few inches away from him.

"Phew. I've wanted to do that all morning but it just keeps refusing to come out. Stupid cold," he sniffed with his hand over his mouth and nose. "Do you have a tissue? My hand is kind of icky right now," he said, his voice muffled behind said hand.

Nanoha reached into the pocket of her skirt and retrieved a packet of Kleenex. She plucked a piece. After much consideration she decided to pluck some more and handed the handful of tissues to the boy who took them gratefully.

"Thanks," he said and blew his nose into one and wiped his snort filled hand with the rest. "I hate colds. They make your eyes water and nose itch. I lost a night's sleep because of it. Can't breathe, kept tossing and turning in bed."

So that's why he's in such a bad state – a cold.

'_So much for being upset…' _she thought.

"Oh and don't worry. I'm cool with the split up. Kind of saw it coming, what with you avoiding me and all. I'd be a total retard if I hadn't noticed," he exhaled and crushed the tissues into a ball.

"We're just not suitable for each other," she said with a grimace, disgusted at his action of pocketing the incredibly wet and grimy ball instead of disposing it in the trash bin about a metre away. Either he's unaware of it or he's just plain lazy to walk the mere distance.

The brunette knew now. Yes, it's clear as a crystal. They're the least compatible people in the universe.

The first bell of the day sounded across the academy. Homeroom starts at the second bell which was set to ring in fifteen minutes and it's a rule that all students had to be in class by then, unless they wished to be invited to the student council for a nice and very, _very_ long cup of hot coffee.

"We better get to class, Nanoha," he turned and stopped. "I can still call you Nanoha, right?"

She smiled. "Sure you can, _Yuuno-kun_."

They shared a short laugh and hurriedly rounded to the entrance of the building from the back where they had met up, separating as the boy had homeroom in the library at the opposite direction. The brunette changed into her indoor shoes in five seconds flat and ran for the stairs, halting at first step when she caught the glance of her teacher, Lindy Harlaown, as she, too, was about to ascend the flight of stairs at the other end of the corridor. They sent each other a smirk and sprinted up the stairs, taking multiple steps at a time. Both panted heavily when they reached the third years' level. Everything around them came to a standstill as they charged toward the classroom door in big, swift, purposeful movements.

"Can I help you?" the bespectacled, short haired female teacher by the whiteboard asked when they burst into the room. Laughing nervously, they exited and dashed to the neighboring classroom, the right one this time.

"Safe!" Nanoha announced as she tumbled inside with Lindy scuffling in a second later. The bell rang soon after and she grinned at the older woman who was leaning against the doorframe gasping for air. Lindy shook her head in amusement and gestured to her to take her seat as she made her own way to the front of the class.

The brunette immediately sensed something was amiss when she glanced across the room; the seat in front of hers was empty. She strolled to her table, raising her eyebrows when she met the eyes of the chocolate haired girl in the back row. Hayate shook her head at the unsaid question. She frowned and took her seat. Odd, Fate was never late for class before. She checked her cell phone.

No call or message from her either.

Just as she was about to send a mail to her, the blonde came darting through the door, hauling what looked like a knapsack that was about to explode.

"I apologize for being late," she wheezed.

"Ah," Lindy drawled as she eyed the heavy bag behind her. She cleared her throat. "Well, since it's your first offence, I'll let you off this time. Try not to be tardy again."

Nanoha let out a breath, thankful that the blonde hadn't gotten herself a date with the student council. Her relief was short-lived, however, when the girl just stood there, dazed.

Lindy coughed. "You _may_ take your seat now, Testarossa."

"Oh, right. My seat," she scratched the back of her head in confusion and surveyed the classroom. The blonde brightened when her eyes landed on the brunette's. She pointed a finger at her and bounded gleefully toward the stunned girl as she dragged the heavy bag along the floor.

"Nanoha-chan!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

Fate Testarossa had cracked. Not only had she brought with her the entire year's syllabus of books and being strangely mesmerized by her own table and chair, she had also been uncharacteristically talkative and approachable toward the other classmates. She even blew everyone away with her rapid yet accurate replies and answers to every question, quizzes and the most complex problems that the teachers had posted the class with, earning her newfound respect, rounds of applauses and standing ovations.

It's true that the blonde was smart, but not to that extent.

Nanoha's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she borrowed her notes of the morning's classes. The blonde had copied every single word that was written on the whiteboard. There was nothing wrong with that. What alarmed the brunette was the girl had also jotted whatever that came out of the teachers' mouths, word for word inclusive of commas, full-stops and other existing punctuation marks.

"Fate-chan has lost it. What will we do, Hayate-chan?!" Nanoha exclaimed, shaking her friend by the collar as she observed the blonde from their table who was skipping around the cafeteria as she contemplated on which stall to patronize for lunch.

"Calm down," the chocolate haired girl choked out, her head rolling back and forth. She placed her hands onto Nanoha's and put an end to the shaking when she heard her neck crack. "I'm just as worried and confused as you are."

"What ever happened to her?" Shamal said as she took a seat along with the other two cousins.

"Maybe she took a bang to the head?" Vita said, for once not interested in her food the instant she sat down.

"Seriously, Testarossa. What's wrong with you?" Signum asked when Fate came springing to their table with her food tray, unable to withstand her weird antics any longer.

The blonde blinked and then smiled, a little too widely. "Signum-chan!"

The pink-head's face twisted with repulsion while the rest inhaled sharply. Never had anyone addressed her like that, knowing how much she loathed it. Yet the blonde had been conspicuously doing so to everyone which she never, ever did before.

"I hope I'm not disturbing," a male voice said and all heads turned to the source of the interruption. Nanoha immediately tensed as she glowered and Hayate thought she saw the ends of the brunette's hair frizzing. Chrono met the angry amethyst orbs and smirked before diverting his attention to the blonde.

"It's already autumn, Fate. I believe I've given you more than enough time to think about what I'd said last season."

'_What is he talking about?' _Nanoha thought, unease settling in her stomach as she recalled seeing the two together on her date with Yuuno. She almost sprained her neck when she heard the girl beside her muttering something under her breath.

She hissed into Hayate's ear, "What confession?!"

"Whoops."

If she wasn't overwhelmed with anxiety like she was now, she probably would've sensed the obvious phony-of-a-surprise in her tone. The chocolate haired girl was thoroughly enjoying herself with the brunette's reaction.

"So what's your reply?" Chrono asked the blonde, full of smugness.

Fate stared hard at his face before replying. "And you are?"

The girls snickered. Nanoha and Vita hunched over their seats and cackled. Shamal covered her mouth as she giggled. Hayate plopped herself onto the table and writhed. Signum fought to control her mirth as her face contorted into what looked like a constipated expression.

"You are so funny," the boy said, not the least humored. "If you feel embarrassed about talking here we can always do it somewhere else. I'd be waiting near the clubrooms after classes." With that said, he left, but not without sending them a glare as he trudged out the cafeteria.

Nanoha stuck out her tongue at his retreating back. Concern filled her as she gazed at puzzled blonde who was grinning at their friends' compliments for putting the boy off. What if Fate said yes? She clutched her fists. No way was she going to let that happen, especially not to the likes of Chrono now that she realized her feelings for the blonde.

_It was now or never._

"Fate-chan! I-"

A big, broad and cheerful smile graced the blonde's lips. "Yes?"

She waned, her flames of determination extinguished just as quickly as it flared. "I-I- like- I was wondering if I could talk to you right after school."

"Okay."

"What's the secret? Can I participate in it?" Hayate teased as the brunette plunked her head onto the table and sighed.

Lunch ended soon after and it was back to class. The hours were long and torturous for Nanoha as she waited in anticipation for the day to end. Her eyes almost dried as she stared intently at the wall clock above the whiteboard, unblinking. One minute and she'll be confessing to Fate and kicking Chrono away with it.

Just a few seconds more…

_Five…_

_Four…_

_Three…_

_Two…_

"Could you help me bring the papers to the office, Takamachi?" Lindy said as the bell rang.

Her lips twitched between a smile and a frown. "Yes Ma'am…"

Nanoha hefted the pile of papers, rushed through the door, zigzagged through the bodies of students at the corridor, bounded down the stairs, hurried to the Teachers' Office, located Lindy's table and set the pile neatly at the side. She eyed the framed photo sitting at the back of the table.

It was of Chrono and Lindy.

'I'll definitely make Fate-chan mine," she said to the still-pictured boy and promptly left the office with renewed resolve. She scampered back to class, hoping that the blonde was still around and alone.

But she wasn't.

The brunette stood stone still as she took in the scene in front of her - Fate's eyes were closed as she leaned forward and toward a very surprised Hayate.

The chocolate haired girl saw her first. "It's not what it looks like!" she exclaimed and diverted her attention to the blonde who was still advancing toward her. "Fate-chan! Snap out of it!" she said and pushed her away by the shoulders.

The blonde cocked her head to the side. "What's a little kiss between friends?"

"I would've so gladly accepted it on any other day but not today," she said, aware of the intense aura emitting from the girl at the doorway.

"So you do wish to do it with her then," the brunette said darkly and slid the door close.

"Do you prefer to hear a white lie?" she quivered as the girl crossed her arms and made her way across the room to their side. It was at the close proximity that she noticed the subtle differences: her golden tresses were darker, her burgundy eyes were lighter, her nose was sharper, her lips were thinner and her skin was fairer.

She took a step back. "You're not Fate-chan."

The door slid opened with a slam and a disheveled blonde hollered.

"Alicia!"

"Alicia?" Nanoha and Hayate chorused.

"Fate!" the girl named Alicia leaped for her replica and enveloped her in a bear hug. "Your school's awesome and your friends are so fun and interesting. Just like you said they were!"

"What's going on here?" the girls chorused again.

Fate sighed. "She's my twin."

"You never told me you have a sister, much less a twin!" Nanoha said, incredulous.

"I guess it sort of slipped my mind," Fate scratched her cheek and Hayate shook her head in amusement.

The other blonde grinned. "Alicia Testarossa," she gave them a peace sign, "nice to make your acquaintances!" She twirled around the classroom and paused by the windows. "I never knew school's so exciting. I envy you, Fate."

"Alicia's homeschooled all her life and she's quite the genius too, though she's normally airheaded."

"No wonder she was fawning all over your desk and stuff," Nanoha said and turned her attention to Fate. "So… why didn't you come to school today?"

"I overslept," she replied sheepishly. "It wasn't until mid-afternoon that I woke up and discovered that my textbooks and a set of my uniform was missing along with Alicia so-"

"Your collar's crooked," the brunette stepped forward to fix her collar and both girls blushed at the closeness of their faces as neither dared to move.

"Ahem," Hayate coughed. "I guess it's time for the secondary characters to leave the room."

"What? Why? I want to join in the action too," Alicia protested as the girl dragged her away, leaving the two of them alone. The brunette took a deep breath.

_Now was the time to say it._

"F-Fate-chan, I-I have something to tell you," Nanoha stammered and shuffled her feet.

"I have something to tell you too," Fate said with the slightest hint of nervousness.

"Let me say it first." When the blonde nodded in reply, the brunette continued. "Please believe me on what I'm about to tell you," she clutched the hem of her skirt. This was really it! She had practiced plenty of times in front of the mirror, even using her teddy as a Fate stand-in for rehearsals.

She must not falter now.

"I like you Fate-chan! Please go out with me!"

It was foolish and stupid of her but yet she couldn't help herself. Her body had acted against her wishes as if it was possessed or had a life of its own. She found herself distancing from the blonde as her legs carried her outside and down the corridors.

That's right.

Takamachi Nanoha had fled the second she confessed her love.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"There you are. I've been waiting."

"Chrono…"

Fate had never expected to meet the boy. She was on her way home when she decided to drop by her club and explain her absence if there happened to be any members inside the clubroom.

"Your reply?"

"Reply?" the blonde repeated, confused.

He quirked an eyebrow, "I never knew you're the forgetful type. Or have you really forgotten about our little conversation during lunch?"

'_I wasn't even in school,' _she thought and suspected that he must have interacted with Alicia back then.

"Forget it," he said and pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on. "Just tell me that you will go out with me."

"Oh, that," she said, having just the tiniest clue about what probably had gone on during her absence. She sighed. He can be so relentless. "I… can't. I have someone else in mind. I'm really sorry."

"What?" He was surprised at first, and then came anger. Fate winced when he grabbed her wrist. There was a weird glint present in his eyes. "Who is it?!"

A pompom clad hand shot out from the clubroom beside them and the boy stumbled backwards when it jabbed his side, breaking their contact. Two cheerleaders pranced out of the room as they punched their pompoms in the air. One of them had short, dark brown hair and the other was a long haired blonde. Their faces were suspiciously hidden behind smiley masks.

"Go! Go! Lyrical Academy! You can do it, Lyrical Academy!" they cheered, lifting their thighs and kicking dangerously at the boy.

"What's going on?!" Chrono said as he stepped backwards and away from the advancing cheerleaders.

"Fight on! Fight on! Lyrical Academy!" they chanted, pushing the boy further away and into a corner. Fate thanked the girls in her heart and took the opportunity to make her getaway. Chrono was acting weird and it was scaring her.

The sun had set by the time she reached home.

"I'm home," she announced as she stepped into the living room. "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw her mother pacing around.

"Your sister hasn't come home since morning," Precia said. "She even left her cell phone in her room, that forgetful child," she sighed and flopped onto the couch, "she still has assessments to finish up, mind you."

"Right," Fate said, wondering if she should tell on her sister. The girl obviously snuck out without the woman's knowledge.

"So did you manage to see Nanoha-chan? You did stay up pretty late last night drafting your ideal confession," she teased and then turned serious. "And I'll have you know this will be the last time you skip school just because you can't wake up."

"Yes, Mother. And yes, I did saw her," the blonde replied.

"You told her then?"

Fate shook her head and grinned.

"No. She'd beat me to it."

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Author's note: Alicia made her appearance :D


	10. Chapter 9: Runaway Confessor & Whatnots

Author's note: Many thanks to all who read and reviewed :D

And to Isane, thanks for pointing out the error in the previous chapter. I can't believe I missed it even when I'd read through it twice lol.

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**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Nine  
~Runaway Confessor and Whatnots~

The atmosphere that enveloped Lyrical Academy was dark and mysterious. Tales of the school grounds being haunted were springing up around campus as students and teachers shared forbidding stories of Lyrical's alleged shadowy past. Some said the land the school was built on was once a graveyard while others speculated that it was a hospital. However, the most popular hearsay was of a mansion that once belonged to a wealthy family and had burned without explanation after their only daughter, a beautiful young girl with flaxen hair, had passed away.

Stories about the girl's ghost haunting the academy were sprouting ubiquitously as witnesses made their claims in the latest Lyrical Papers, stating that they saw her whizzing through campus in high-speed. There were even photographic proof, though it appeared only as a blurred blotch in the photos; the fair-haired figure was moving too fast for the shutter. One was of their school event in spring where it was spotted near the area the occasion was held. The other was taken somewhat recently at the corridors where it was spotted yet again, peeking from the side of a wall.

As rumors of the ghost continued to cause restlessness, a particular blonde was undeterred.

"I never knew it would turn out this serious," Fate said to the lonely girl seated at the back row the moment she entered the classroom.

"You just went straight into a conversation without greeting first. How rude," Hayate joked as the blonde took the empty seat across of her.

It was early in the morning and they were the only ones – with the exception of a cleaner – in the room. They were also the first persons of their class to get their hands on the freshly printed Lyrical Papers that were neatly stacked at the doorway of every classroom.

The blonde waited for the cleaner to tidy up and leave before she spoke again. "It's practically a paranormal uproar."

"It's not that bad," the chocolate haired girl said. "All they got was her blurred self. But still, it's kind of funny," she snickered. "Congratulations, Fate. Your sister is now a famous school haunting ghost."

"Please don't joke about it," Fate said, rubbing her temples. "It won't be long until someone gets a clear shot of her if she keeps sneaking into school like that. I'm surprised she had already snuck in way back on Sports Day. She will be in deep trouble if she gets herself caught. You know how strict the academy is with unregistered visitor entries."

Hayate laughed. "She's not a visitor. She's an infiltrator." At Fate's frown, the girl changed the subject. "So tell me, why are you so early today? Unlike me, you don't have any class duties."

She hummed. "Nothing really. I just woke up earlier than usual."

The chocolate haired girl quirked a brow at her lie and said nothing. It was clear to her what she was early for: to catch a certain side-ponytailed brunette. The truth was Nanoha had been avoiding Fate by coming early to school since the day she had professed her love for the blonde girl, which was silly as she was the one who did the confessing. And her reason for shunning the girl – "I'm afraid of rejections!" she said.

And because of the brunette's continuous fleeing from the blonde's attempted confrontations, Fate was out-of-herself lately, constantly zoned out during conversations and daydreaming in classes. She even did rather badly at their recent class test.

Perhaps it was time to lend the blonde a helping hand?

The door slid opened and a girl stepped through the doorway. The two bodies immediately shot up from their seats. When amethyst met burgundy, the girl instantaneously did a 180-degrees turn and sprinted down the corridors.

"Nanoha!" Fate called out as she gave chase. Hayate, on the other hand, had loped in the opposite direction and disappeared around the corner. "Wait up!" the blonde yelled but it only made the brunette run even more rapidly. When the Nanoha's set on running away, even the fastest girl in Lyrical can't catch up with her.

'_So much for being the school's star sprinter,'_ Fate thought as she sighed inwardly.

The pursuit went from the third years' level down to the first years' until the brunette halted on the steps leading to the ground level as Hayate blocked her path with outstretched arms.

"You're not" – a gasp – "going anywhere this time!"

Nanoha turned, only to see Fate arriving at the top of the stairs. "It's time to end this cat and mouse game, Nanoha. You can't run away forever."

The girl smirked. "Try me."

The next moment was just like a scene out of a motion picture. Nanoha climbed a couple of steps back and with a bend of her knees she had leaped into the air, her legs stretched out like an upside-down 'Y' as she flew overhead of a suddenly wide eyed Hayate, landing perfectly behind the stunned girl with both feet on the ground. And then she was off again with Fate hot on her trail.

"I just saw the brightest pink pant- pant-" Hayate said woozily as she fell limply to the side and slumping onto the ground.

_(Yagami Hayate: - knockout in 2.5 minutes)_

The brunette came to a screeching stop near the shoe lockers and squinted at the silhouette of a person standing tall at the entrance of the school building as the bright light from the morning sun shone its way through the doorways, casting a whitish glow around the figure. The girl got a clear view of the stranger when her eyes had adjusted to the light.

"Alicia-chan?!"

"That's right," she grinned as she took off her yellow tinted shades in a slow, theatrical fashion. The blonde was dressed in a grey jumper suit paired with black rubber boots while her hands were covered in woolly gloves. Her silky gold tresses were well hidden underneath a white bandana and with a broomstick and dustpan in each hand, her outfit was complete.

Nanoha asked, "What's with the getup?"

"This?" Alicia said as she pinched her suit. "It's my disguise. With all the rumors going around, it's not safe for me to run around without any concealing outfit." She did a twirl. "What do you think? I came up with this brilliant masquerade after getting some pointers from Hayate-chan!"

Fate reached the lockers, promptly recognizing her sister the instant she set her eyes on hers and gasped at the girl's clothes. "_You're_ that cleaner that was in our class earlier?"

Alicia threw the broom and dustpan aside as she charged toward Nanoha –

"Prepare yourself!"

– And fell flat on her face, having tripped over her own feet when she made the rush for the brunette.

_(Alicia Testarossa: - knockout in 5 seconds)_

Nanoha hopped over the sprawled body and escaped the building. Although Fate felt guilty for leaving her sister on the ground, she still went ahead to pursue the brunette. "Nanoha! I need to tell you that I-"

"Don't say it!" the girl yelled as she ran for the gates. "I'm afraid to hear what you might say!" She paused her running, however, when a girl placed herself in front of the gates and used her own body as a blockade.

"It's time for you to stop reversing your role as the confessor to the one being confessed," Hayate wheezed, her voice nasal as tissues were stuck conspicuously in her nostrils with the slightest hint of red on them. "This is as far as you can go!" She made a move for the brunette and successfully trapped the girl in an arm lock after a small scuffle.

"Nanoha," Fate began when she caught up with the girls and had positioned herself in front of the brunette.

Nanoha breathed. "Fate-chan…"

"Just like the time when you confessed, I need you to believe me on what I'm about to tell you," the blonde said with a blush. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Nanoha…"

"Have… to catch… Nanoha-chan…" Alicia said, feeling lightheaded from her fall earlier as she swayed toward the girls and stumbling.

"… I like you too. I have been since… since I don't even know when! And so, so… I just want you to know that I really, really like you!" It took Fate a second or two before she dared to open her eyes.

"Why, Fate-chan… I'm so shocked and unprepared," Hayate said as she cupped her cheeks in mock embarrassment.

_(Fate Testarossa: - speechless)_

It turned out that Alicia had lost her footing at the crucial moment when Fate was about to blurt out her own love for the brunette, accidentally body slamming Nanoha from the side and out of the chocolate haired girl's grip as both girls fell to the ground, leaving Hayate to stand in front of the babbling blonde.

"Hayate-chan," Nanoha said dangerously, her face darkening and her body trembling.

"C-calm down, Nanoha-chan," Hayate gulped and hid behind the still dumbfounded blonde. "Say something Fate-chan," she said and pushed the girl toward the brunette.

Fate hesitated. And then, in a swift movement, she grabbed Nanoha shoulders and gazed intently into surprised amethyst orbs, her own burgundy eyes flickered with earnestness. "I like you, Nanoha, and I accept your feelings and confession. I will go out with you."

"Fate-chan," Nanoha began, moved by the sincerity in the blonde's eyes. "I'm sorry for avoiding you all this time. I'm just scared that you'd reject me. And now that I know you hold the same feelings, I'm so happy that I can't even think of what else to say."

"Nanoha…"

The girls took their time to relish the moment together as they stood in comfortable silence, a content smile on both their lips.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Alicia asked, "What are we here for again?"

"For a little surprise," Hayate replied as she inched the door open just enough to peek inside.

"I don't get it," Fate said, confused. "Why here of all places?"

"Yeah," Nanoha quipped. "If I remember correctly, there isn't anything of interest here."

Hayate had insisted on bringing the girls to the student council office for what she deemed as a 'bombshell of a surprise' to commemorate the brunette and blonde on finally, and officially, becoming a couple after the intense chase earlier. She hushed the girls and gestured to the door when the people in the room started talking. Nanoha and the twins sneaked quietly to the opened slit and four pairs of eyes peered into the room anxiously.

Only the president and vice-president were inside.

"_This is really getting out of hand."_

"_There's no need to fret over this, Arisa-chan."_

"_Don't you understand, Suzuka? If the ghost rumors go on, the students will not be able to concentrate on their studies!"_

"_It will blow over once they get tired of it."_

"_W-what are you doing?"_

"_Giving my dear Arisa-chan a massage to relax her tense shoulders?"_

"_I-I know that but you're sitting on my lap and your face is way too close-"_

Nanoha and Fate scrambled away from the door as their faces flushed crimson.

"How's that for a surprise? Are you shocked that they're a couple like you too?" Hayate smirked as she moved away from the door. The brunette and blonde nodded dumbly in response and blushed even more when weird noises travelled out of the room.

"Wow," Alicia said as she continued to glance through the open slit. "I never knew girls can do _such_ _things_ together." She pouted when her still red faced twin dragged her away from the door. "Aw, just when it's getting interesting too."

"Not only them, there are other girl couples in our school, you know," Hayate said, sliding the door close so that the noises won't pose as a distraction while they talked and vice versa.

"Really? Like who?" Nanoha asked, interested.

"Signum and Shamal."

"What?!"

The door slammed open and the – now unkempt – blonde president yelled, "Who's there?!" She surveyed the area. There was only a cleaner sweeping the grounds nearby. "Strange. I thought I heard a shout. Hey, did you see anyone loitering around here?" she asked the cleaner.

"No, I haven't."

"I guess I must've heard wrong," she scratched her head and closed the door. A soft click followed soon after.

"Oh shucks, they've locked the door," Alicia the Cleaner sighed.

"That was a close call," Fate said as she, along with the other two girls, emerged from behind a trash bin. They had just pulled off an incredible feat without themselves knowing; three teenage girls hiding behind one single trash bin without being discovered.

"I can't believe Signum and Shamal are a couple," Nanoha said.

"Me neither," Fate said.

The brunette and her blonde partner creased their brows as they recalled the scene they had witnessed earlier, replacing the president and vice-president with the pink-head and short haired blonde. They shivered as the same thought crossed their minds.

'_I won't be able to look at them normally without thinking elsewhere from now on…'_

Nanoha coughed distractingly. "It's just so…"

"Awkward." Fate finished for her.

Hayate wriggled her eyebrows. "You two are already starting to end each other's sentences."

The couple blushed and Alicia joined in. "How cute! I wish I have someone like that too."

"Why are you staring at me when you said that?" the chocolate haired girl commented.

The bell rang at that moment, its shrill tinkling echoed throughout the academy. Shuffling of feet and rowdy chatters became louder as students made their way to their classes. "Time sure flies when we're having fun," Hayate said and grinned at Alicia. "Looks like you'll have to get back to your _cleaning_ now, eh?"

Alicia sighed while Nanoha and Fate giggled. "Work hard and do your best," her twin said jokingly as she gave her sister a pat on the back. After saying their goodbyes to the blonde, the trio clambered up the nearby stairwell to their class. Lindy had entered the classroom at the end of the second bell and took her usual spot at the front of the class.

"I have an announcement to make," Lindy said and took a piece of document from her folder. "I know that all of you, as third years, have been looking forward to the graduation trip and I'm happy to say that the date for it has been decided," she paused as the class erupted into a mix of excited squeals and shrieks. "It will be a week's trip," she paused again for impact. "And you'll all be flying off next week!"

There was a minute of silence before the class exploded in shock.

"NEXT WEEK?!"

* * *

Author's note: they'll be on a graduation trip :)


	11. Chapter 10: Graduation Trip Part One

Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews :) I made Mid-childa the country where they'll be flying to.

**

* * *

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**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Ten  
~Graduation Trip Part 1~

A melodic tune of dings and dongs reverberated across the vast lobby of Uminari Airport before a pleasant-sounding female voice was heard through the PA system.

"_Attention to all passengers of Uminari Airways Flight 123: The flight from Uminari City to Mid-childa has been delayed on suspicion that a stowaway is onboard the plane. Security checks are being carried out at the moment to ensure that the plane is safe for takeoff. There is no cause for alarm. Repeat: There is no cause for alarm."_

"Don't you think people would be even more distressed after hearing that announcement?" Hayate chuckled as the broadcast ended with another sequence of dingdongs.

"I can't believe you can still laugh," Nanoha reproved. "If you haven't notice, that's our flight being suspected of a suspicious character onboard. Do you know the seriousness of it? That person might be a hijacker!"

Hayate pointed a finger at her. "See! You're overwhelmed with anxiety already."

Their conversation was interrupted when a familiar blonde figure came rushing toward them in high speed. Nanoha's face immediately brightened as all fears and worries that had brewed in her chest from hearing the announcement faded away.

"Thank God you guys haven't takeoff yet," Fate gasped as she placed her luggage on the floor while hunching over to catch her breath.

"We would've if the flight wasn't delayed," Hayate said and offered to hand the luggage to Lindy for check in purposes. She hefted the blonde's suitcase and stumbled at its heavy weight. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as she steadied herself. "I reckon everyone's smuggling gold bars in their bags, not that mine isn't this heavy as well," she joked and waddled away with the case like a penguin.

Fate thanked the girl and averted her attention to Nanoha. A tinge of pink spread itself across their faces when they met each other's gaze with shyness as they were still a little awkward of their newfound relationship; both promoted from being the other's best friend to girlfriend just a week ago. They hadn't gone on a date yet as they were busy with the graduation trip preparations for the past week. There weren't much communication between them either except for normal activities such as chit-chats and lunching with friends. It was as if nothing had changed other than their status. Hence, deep in their hearts, the girls secretly wished that the trip would make up for their lack of time together and maybe take them a step forward in their relationship as a couple.

The girls fidgeted as they stole glances of each other, both waiting for the other to speak. After what seemed like a minute, Nanoha decided to make the first move.

"Why the lateness?" she inquired, twisting the tip of her ponytail between her thumb and forefinger.

"I woke up late this morning. Couldn't sleep last night; too excited," Fate replied as she scratched her cheek sheepishly. "And then Mother had to go on and on about travel safety when I was about to leave the house."

"I see," Nanoha said as she continued to play with her ponytail. "I was worried why you were late and tried your cell phone but you didn't pick up."

"You did?" the blonde asked, surprised. She was absolutely sure that not a beep came from her cell phone. Nevertheless, she took out the mobile device and checked, just to be sure. An 'oh' escaped her lips when she discovered that it was turned off.

"I've forgotten to on it," she said as she flashed her cell phone for the girl to see and promptly switched it on by pressing down on the button with a symbol of a green receiver on it. The black screen lit up and a short melody began to play. Her eyes widened in disbelief when a notification of fifty-six missed calls and ninety-one unread messages popped up soon after. Fate bit her lip as she contemplated on how to respond to her girlfriend's unintentional spamming so that the girl wasn't offended. Don't be mistaken; she's really happy that Nanoha was concerned about her. But the number of miscalls and messages was a tad exaggerated.

"Nanoha-chan! Fate-chan! Roll call!" Hayate called out from a distance, unwittingly saving the blonde from her dilemma.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but is it just me who realized that Signum, Shamal and Vita aren't around?" Fate asked Nanoha as she examined the clusters of schoolmates while they made their way to where their own class was gathered.

The brunette sighed. "Yeah. They aren't going on the trip; saying that it's dangerous not to have anyone looking after the house."

"Wouldn't it be enough to have just one of them staying behind?"

"It's kind of a chain reaction thing. Signum said that she'd stay and Shamal said that she'd stay too if Signum stayed."

"What about Vita?"

"She stayed because Signum and Shamal stayed."

"Oh."

Fate wondered if it was some kind of a joke and whether or not she should laugh at it. She asked the next question that was on her mind.

"Is Hayate disappointed?"

"Not really. She's grateful towards them instead," Nanoha said with a smile and continued when the blonde gave her a look of confusion. "The leaving-the-house-unattended thing is just an excuse. Truth is that they could only afford to pay for three persons' air tickets. Hayate-chan had offered to stay behind but they knew that she had been looking forward to the trip so Signum volunteered to stay behind instead and this is where the chain reaction took place. In the end, they gave up the trip so that Hayate-chan can pay the travel expenses and still have extra cash to spare."

"They really dote on her huh," Fate said as she digested the information. "And you knew about it from way back?"

The brunette shook her head. "I got to know today."

"The two of you sure took your time to get here," Hayate complained when the couple finally reached the gathering spot.

"Alright everyone," Lindy said in a loud voice as she clapped her hands to get the class's attention. "All your baggage had been sent safely to the check point. And as for when we will actually board the plane, we will have to wait for the announcement. Please refrain from wandering anywhere from now till boarding time. I wouldn't want any of you to lose your way or get left behind when we're given the clear-to-go."

Fate was puzzled. "Our flight's been delayed?"

"I remember telling you that when you just arrived," Hayate said and Nanoha nodded in confirmation. "The flight that we'd be on was held back on suspicion that a stowaway was on board. But now that I think about it…" the chocolate haired girl trailed, deep in thought. She eyed the blonde. "Where is your sister when you left your house?"

"Are you saying that Alicia-chan is the stowaway?" Nanoha asked, incredulous.

"Impossible. It's too absurd even for someone like Alicia," Fate said with a wave of her hand. "And as for where she was at the time I left, she's sleeping on her bed, in her room and snoring away like a piglet."

The melodic dingdongs cut through the air once again as the same sweet female voice spoke through the PA system.

"_Attention to all passengers of Uminari Airways Flight 123: We're glad to inform you that the plane is now safe for takeoff and that there is no suspicious character onboard, except for a stray cat. We don't have the slightest clue on how it got itself on the plane but not to worry; Security had since removed it from the premises. We apologize for the false alarm and inconvenience caused. No animals were harmed during the security procedures. Repeat: No animals were harmed during the security procedures._"

-o-o-o-o-o-

"I don't mean to be rude but… do you think you could… um… take the other seat?"

"No."

Hayate crossed her arms and looked away from the disheartened Fate. Nanoha switched glances from the blonde girl to the chocolate haired girl. "Hayate-chan…" Nanoha began in a whiney tone and pulled on said girl's sleeve. "Let Fate-chan have the seat. Please?"

A dark brown brow twitched before Hayate sighed in mock frustration. "Fine, you two lovebirds can seat together and do God know what," she teased and shifted to the empty seat beside her. Fate blushed and settled herself in between Hayate (who was now occupying the aisle seat) and Nanoha (who occupied the window seat).

They were finally onboard the airplane with their classmates, schoolmates and teachers after it was delayed for almost an hour and unlike the other classes, instead of assigning seats to her students, Lindy chose to let them seat freely since the school was magnanimous enough to reserve the entire aircraft just for the sole purposes of the graduation trip and transportation (yet not generous enough to sponsor the air tickets too), thus leading Fate and Hayate in a tiny dispute as to who shall be the one seating beside Nanoha.

The seat belt symbol located at the twin corners of the wall upfront lit up as a monotonic male voice cut through the air.

"_Can all passengers please buckle up your seatbelts as we will be flying off in_…_ a few minutes? Please switch off all mobile devices and laptops and other gadgets like radios etcetera, etcetera. Thank you."_

Fate laughed nervously as she belted herself. "Somehow, I hope that he's not the one in charge of flying."

"_Oh. I almost forgot. I am Captain Forty-Winks and together with my co-pilot, we'll be steering this flight with guarantee that you'll be on safe hands."_

The blonde just paled several shades of white.

There was a low rumbling noise and the airplane started to maneuver out of the large parking lot. A man dressed in a blue jumper suit guided the way by waving two light-sticks. "We're moving! We're moving!" Nanoha said excitedly as she plastered her face on the window. The airplane made a few turns along a curvy path as it drove onto the stretched runway. It stood still for a minute before moving again, running down the airstrip in a steady pace and picking up speed slowly.

Nanoha turned toward Fate. She was about to open her mouth and speak when she noticed the blonde gripping the armrests so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. With a soft smile, she placed her hand on the girl's. Fate tensed at the contact but relaxed when she saw the gentle look on the brunette's face.

"Thank you," she said and interlaced their fingers together. A content smile graced their lips as they relished the warmth of each other's hand. Hayate, who had been secretly observing them, grinned.

It wasn't long before everyone onboard sank into the back of their seats as the airplane lifted off the ground and into the clear blue skies. The girls made a face of discomfort when they felt an invisible blockage in their ears due to the change in air pressure. The seat belt symbol returned to its unlit state when the airplane had steadied itself. An air stewardess appeared from behind the cabin door located upfront and spoke through the microphone of her headset. "Thank you for flying with Uminari Airways. We would now brief you on lifesaving tactics in case of emergencies which of course won't happen. At least we hope not. All passengers please put on the headphones located at the side of your armrests."

Everybody did as they were told and the built in mini TV at the back of the seats in front of them lit up as a lady appeared on the screen.

"_Welcome to 'Lifesaving Rules and Tactics' and I will be your host- I mean guide on what to do when you're feeling unwell or when the plane is in danger and in need of an emergency landing. If anyone of you happens to feel sick, there is a brown paper bag located in the compartment below every seat. All you have to do is to retrieve the bag and you're ready to puke into it. But if you're truly unwell, it's best that you inform our friendly staff onboard. Next, I would like to touch on what to do in case of an emergency landing or super strong turbulence while flying. When either one of it happens, please make sure to buckle your seatbelts and bend all the way down so that your head is touching your lap with your arms wrapped under the knees. Last but not least, in case of a severe drop in air pressure, oxygen masks will be provided. Make sure to place it over your nose and mouth…"_

The video clip went on and continued in several other languages before it ended.

Fate slipped off her headphones. "Please let this flight be a smooth sailing one…"

"Nyahaha," Nanoha chuckled as she placed her own headphones back to its spot by the armrest. "It'll be fine."

"Hey! Look over here!" Hayate said and snapped a picture of the couple when they turned to face her. "Gotcha!"

The blonde asked, "You brought a camera?"

"Yup! You didn't?"

Both Fate and Nanoha shook their heads. "You should've brought one you know," Hayate said with a wriggle of her finger. "Even though our cell phones can do the job as well, there won't be enough storage space for all the pictures that we'll be taking on this trip."

Nanoha pouted. "Now I regret not bringing mine."

"Me too," Fate quipped.

"Don't worry your little heads off," the chocolate haired girl said cheerily. "You can always buy those disposable ones over at Mid-childa."

The flight was filled with laughter as the girls continued to take pictures using Hayate's camera and chatting with their classmates when they came to join in the fun. They played some mini games like checkers and mastermind that they had found in the plane-given necessities bag along with wooly blankets, bottles of water and packets of biscuits. When evening came, trolleys packed with heated food were pushed down the aisles as air stewardesses handed them their dinner wrapped in aluminum foil.

Night came soon after and the airplane interior was almost pitch-black save for some spots where the lights were still lit.

"It's funny how it's all quiet now when it was still rowdy just a moment ago," Fate commented.

Nanoha yawned. "Guess the tiredness finally caught up with everyone."

Hayate took off her headphones and switched off the mini TV. "Let's turn in too," she said with a stretch.

The brunette pulled down the window blind as the blonde turned off their lights. After they said their goodnights, the girls covered themselves with the wooly blankets and went to sleep.

Or they tried to; to be precise.

"I'm not used to sleeping upright," Hayate said as she tossed and turned.

Fate groaned. "I can't stretch my legs."

"I have a feeling my back will be sore in the morning," Nanoha grumbled and shifted, apologizing when she accidentally jabbed the blonde's arm with her elbow. "Sorry!"

A loud 'SHHH!' came as everyone else shushed them up and the three friends sank into their seats in embarrassment. The brunette and blonde sent each other a look and giggled.

"They sure are touché," Fate whispered.

"Don't you know that people tend to be grumpy giants when they're sleepy?" Nanoha said in an equally soft voice.

The blonde smiled and took hold of the brunette's hand from under the blankets.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Fate-chan."

Nanoha placed her head on Fate's shoulder and they fell asleep together.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It was night time, Mid-childa time, when their airplane had landed at Mid-childa Airport the next day, putting them two days into their weeklong trip and leaving them approximately three days of actual fun and games before they had to leave the country on the sixth day. They were currently on an excursion bus headed for the hotel that they would be residing in during their stay.

"How are you feeling?" Nanoha asked as her forehead creased with worry.

"I'm fine. It's just a headache," Fate replied weakly.

Hayate plopped her elbows onto the headrest of the blonde's seat from behind. "Jet lag?"

The ill girl closed her eyes. "Probably."

Fate rested through the entire bus ride. She sighed with relief when they finally arrived at the hotel after an hour of rocking in the motor vehicle as it drove along a cobble stone path. The students formed a neat line and entered the hotel through the revolving glass doorways, marveling at the majestic interior and polished marble floors. There was even a chandelier made of crystal hanging in the middle of the ceiling.

"Alright class," Lindy said after she read out the different room numbers that her students would be staying in. "Your baggage has been brought to your rooms. Please have a good night's sleep as tomorrow will be a busy day. And girls, no sneaking to the boys' level and the same goes to the boys. I, along with the other teachers, will be doing room checks so you better not let us catch you breaking the rules. With that said, class dismissed!"

"I envy you two, being assigned to the same room," Hayate said to her two friends as they rode the lift with a group of their classmates. She sighed. "Why am I the only one without a roommate?"

The lift door opened with a ding when it reached their floor.

"At least our rooms are beside each other," Nanoha said as they walked down the carpeted corridor in search of their rooms. "Ah! Found it!"

"Good, because I don't feel really well," Fate said and leaned against the wall.

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha exclaimed and held her partner in her arms.

Hayate turned to the brunette. "Pass me your cardkey. I'll open the door for you." She took the cardkey from the girl and swiped it through the secured card reader. A click was heard and she pushed the door open before stepping aside for the brunette and blonde to enter. She then closed the door, almost bumping into the suitcases on the floor as she made her way to their sides.

After they had settled the blonde on one of the two single beds, Nanoha asked. "Did you bring any aspirins?"

"Yes. It's inside my suitcase in one of the little pockets," Fate replied.

"Is this the one?" said a voice and the girls almost jumped out of their skins when a figure appeared before them in a quick movement. They blinked rapidly before their minds registered who it was and they chorused.

"Alicia?!"

"Uh-huh," the girl said and handed the medicine and a bottle of water to her stunned twin.

Nanoha was bewildered. "But how…?"

"I snuck into the plane before it was due to fly. I evaded those guards by hiding in the deepest area of the aircraft where people normally wouldn't go to. I think it was somewhere at the stomach, the base. I then got off immediately after it landed before anyone found out," Alicia answered the brunette's unfinished question. "Then I hid myself in the storage compartment underneath your tour bus and of course made my escape the moment it arrived at the hotel. I overheard Lindy announcing your rooms at the lobby so I came here first."

"Did you see a cat while you were on the plane?"

"What cat?"

"And how in the world did you get yourself into the room?" Hayate asked, waving off the brunette's previous question about the animal.

"Nothing like a little sabotage couldn't handle," Alicia replied haughtily and picked up the screwdriver and wire plugs that had dropped from her pockets. "Man, I'm good."

Fate held her head as she felt her headache getting worse with the information her sister was feeding them. "You're using your brains the wrong way, Alicia. Hold on… wait…" she drawled when she remembered something. "But you were still sleeping when I checked on you."

"No. I had already left. You didn't actually step into my room but just took a peek at the door, right?" Alicia questioned with a playful grin. "I never knew it was this easy to trick you. All I did was put my pillows under the blankets and played some snoring sounds on the cassette player."

"What about Mother? Does she know you're here?" Fate asked and took an aspirin as the pounding in her head worsened further.

"I left a note on my table. And don't worry about the assessments and stuff. I already completed more than a week's load just to make up for my time here."

'_Mother's probably pulling her hair off back home,'_ Fate thought.

The group then decided that Alicia would reside in Hayate's room during their stay and the two girls left, leaving Nanoha and Fate alone for the first time since the trip began.

"You sure you're not showering first?" the brunette asked. The blonde shook her head. "I'll take my bath then," Nanoha said as she grabbed her change of clothes from her suitcase and padded to the bathroom.

Fate sighed and laid her head on the soft and fluffy gigantic pillows. She instantly jolted upright when she heard a yell and a thud coming from the bathroom. "Nanoha! Are you alright?" she said as she placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted. Luckily for her, the brunette had forgotten to lock it.

"Ah! Fate-chan! Don't come in here!"

But it was too late. The door swung open, revealing a naked red-faced Nanoha on the floor with her legs spread open. A bar of soap with what looked like a footprint imprinted on its surface laid suspiciously in a corner.

Fate gaped as she stared with saucer eyes. A deep blush crept its way up her neck and into her hairline. Her knees buckled and she slumped to the floor, feeling dizzy.

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha screamed and covered herself with a bathrobe before she scrambled to the blonde's side, forgetting the fact that the girl had just seen almost every part of her body. "What is it?" she asked when the girl whispered something.

"I think I need more aspirins…"

* * *

Author's note: Alicia is dangerous lol.

Updates will be slower as I got a feeling that I'm about to be working soon.


	12. Chapter 11: Graduation Trip Part Two

**Lyrical Academy**

Chapter Eleven  
~Graduation Trip Part 2~

Her bladder was desperately calling for her attention and Nanoha had no choice but to wake up from her peaceful slumber. Attempting to drive the sleep away, and failing miserably, she rubbed her eyes as she drowsily made her way across the room. Still half asleep, she swung the door open, slipped into the bathroom, closed the door behind her and awoke completely when darkness engulfed her.

'Strange… Even without the lights, it was never this dark the last time I used it…'

She hitched a breath when something light and fleeting caressed her right cheek. Panicking, she swatted at the unknown object, only to have it grabbed tightly in her hand as she screamed when something else touched her from the left. Light suddenly invaded her vision and another ear splitting scream escaped her lips as she crouched on the floor with her hands over her eyes.

"Nanoha?"

Amethyst orbs popped open at the call of her name.

"What are you doing inside the wardrobe?"

Nanoha stared at Fate and then at the area around her, utterly bemused. Sets of clothes hung from the hangers that were neatly placed at either ends of the wardrobe, creating an empty space in between for differentiating ownership purposes and currently, the brunette was occupying said space.

Feeling self-conscious for mistaking the wardrobe for the bathroom, Nanoha laughed and bobbed herself on the head in an effort to lessen the discomfiture. "Nyahaha. What a way to start the day huh."

Fate blushed. "Oh… I never knew you were interested in this kind of stuff… but to begin the day doing that is a little…" The red faced girl trailed and looked to the side while rubbing the side of her arm shyly, unable to maintain eye contact or to continue her line of speech.

Nanoha quirked an eyebrow at her odd behavior but was quickly distracted when she noticed that the blonde was dressed in nothing but a white bathrobe, how the belt was tied loosely around her petite waist and the way the piece of cotton wear did naught to cover her ample chest; the brunette would be given one blood rushing of an eye candy if it was to slip open any further. Judging from the damp locks of golden hair and disordered attire, Fate must have been taking a shower when she heard her scream and came rushing to her aid.

A tiny droplet of water rolled down her slender neck, glistening as it lingered on her collarbone teasingly before descending toward her cleavage and disappearing beneath the bathrobe, all the while with a pair of sharp amethyst orbs trailing after it. Nanoha swallowed. Half of her mind wished that it was her finger tracing the smooth, ivory skin instead. The other half berated herself for the immoral thoughts.

She snapped out of her mind war when the blonde spoke.

"I really hate to… um…" Fate tucked a lock of damp hair behind her ear as she contemplated on her words, the blush on her face never fading. "I'm sorry to break your… morning ritual… or habit… but can I have it back?"

Nanoha blinked.

"But if you don't want to it's okay! I'll just pick another one!" The blonde added nervously when no response came.

Nanoha blinked again before the words registered. She reached out her hand –

"What are you saying, Fate-chan?"

– and her eyes widened, now aware of the object that she had taken hold of when she was inside the wardrobe. Then everything clicked.

"It's not what you think it is!" Nanoha explained with a wave of her hands, causing the black and purple lacey bra that was gripped tightly in one of her hands to swing from side to side. The last thing she ever wanted, which she never did want, was for her girlfriend to think that she was a closet pervert. She took a step toward the blonde. "I honestly had no idea–"

"It's okay, Nanoha. I know how hard it is for you now that someone knows about your fetish but you can trust me with it. I won't tell anyone," Fate said reassuringly albeit feeling a little afraid as she backed away from the advancing brunette; the girl seemed just a tad intimidating to the blonde right now. "Your secret's safe with me. I promise."

"I told you it's not what it looks like!" Nanoha exclaimed with her face hot from embarrassment and grabbed Fate by the shoulders. In the midst of Nanoha's explanation and Fate's withdrawal, they tripped and fell, both girls shrieking in surprise.

"Wakey-wakey! Rise and shine!" The twin voices of Hayate and Alicia bounced off the walls as they bounded into the couple's room uninvited. Needless to say, the chocolate haired girl's blonde counterpart had done it again – sabotaging the keycard reader. However, not a beep came from the invading girls when they took in the scene in front of them.

And both their brains went into overdrive:

_Takamachi Nanoha – winded and on all fours as she hovered over Fate with a bra clutched in one of her hands._

_Fate Testarossa – shocked and flushed while being pinned on the bed and in between the arms and legs of Nanoha._

Hayate stopped gawking and reached for her camera.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"It really hurts."

Nanoha huffed. "Serves you right for what you did."

"But I never even had the chance to press the shutter before your forehead came slamming into mine," Hayate retorted with a pout as she massaged the sore spot above her eyebrows. "That was one hell of a head butt."

"Really? I didn't feel anything."

"You're a devil…"

"Simmer down," Fate said, trying to ease their bickering. "We're supposed to create fun memories of this trip."

Nanoha relented. "If you say so…" When her eyes met the blonde's, she quickly glanced elsewhere, unable to hold her gaze at those beautiful burgundy eyes as she remembered the morning's event. Apparently Fate was thinking somewhere along the lines as she averted her gaze to her shoes. The brunette wondered what other thoughts went through the blonde's mind during their little misunderstanding.

"Alright class," Lindy said, breaking the brunette's train of thoughts. They had arrived at the day's visiting spot and were having a briefing about the usual safety rules and regulations. "That's all for the dos and don'ts. We will meet up here in four hours. Is that clear, Takamachi and company?" Unlike the rest of their classmates who surrounded their teacher upfront, Nanoha and her friends chose to stand further away by the tour bus.

The three girls responded with a 'yes' and they were dismissed. After making sure that Lindy and their classmates were out of sight and the bus driver nowhere near them, they made their way hurriedly to the luggage compartment located at the lower side of the vehicle. A body fell out the moment they opened the hatch.

"Hot… suffocating… need oxygen…" Alicia murmured. Her cheeks were flushed and she was sweating profusely after being cooped in the compartment for nearly an hour.

"I told you to stay in the hotel," Fate reprimanded as she helped her sister up. "You should know better as we're already two days into the trip since we've arrived at Mid-childa."

Alicia whined. "I want to have fun too."

"I would too if I were her. It gets kind of lonely when you're the only one to stay behind while others get to enjoy themselves," Hayate piped in before the younger twin came up with yet another reproaching response, taking pity on her blonde roommate since she never had the chance to experience school life, being homeschooled and all. "W-what?" she asked when Alicia gave her the infamous yet deadly puppy eye look.

The girl lunged toward her and enveloped her in a bear hug. "I didn't know you cared so much."

"Y-you're under m-my guardianship for this trip so… " The chocolate haired girl stuttered, feeling mildly embarrassed. The emotion was soon replaced with annoyance when she felt the mocking and scrutinizing gazes of her friends. "Well, since I'm in charge of looking out for Alicia, you lovebirds can go and have some _fun_ time together."

Nanoha and Fate blushed at the deliberate emphasis on the word while Hayate grinned in victory. Nothing worked better than a switch in subject to change the tides.

Fate gave her girlfriend a shy look and extended her hand. "Shall we?"

"Yeah," Nanoha replied sheepishly as she held the blonde's hand and they began to scale up the nearby stone steps leading to the old shrine where they would be spending the day at. After paying their respects to the statue of the guardian of the shrine, they went to pick prediction lots.

"I got good luck," Nanoha said cheerily. "What did you get Fate-chan?"

"Moderate luck," Fate replied with a lopsided grin.

They spent the rest of their time marveling at the scenery and patronizing the stalls that sold different types of charms and souvenirs. While Nanoha busied herself with bargaining the prices, Fate overheard a group of girls talking about something that highly interested her.

"I give up. Let's go Fate-chan," Nanoha sighed after an unsuccessful bargain, taking hold of the blonde's hand and exiting the souvenir shop. She stopped and gave Fate an inquisitive look when the girl paused. "Fate-chan?"

The girl in question fidgeted. "There's one place I'd like to visit."

"Sure. Let's go together," Nanoha answered the unvoiced question. She blushed when the blonde beamed, finding her smile and the way her eyes lit up to be wholly adorable. "Whoa!" she exclaimed when she found herself being dragged by the girl and running down the cobblestone path where they had initially came from.

Fate apologized for her action. "Sorry. I'm just…" and she left it at that.

Nanoha shook her head and grinned. _'Fate-chan can be such a child sometimes…'_

The blonde led her up an uneven flight of stone steps behind the shrine, down a winding dirt trail, through a forested path and into a clearing. Nanoha wheezed, hunching over with her hands on her knees as she took in mouthfuls of air into her lungs. Once she recovered, she stood upright and gazed in wonderment at the colossal polished fountain sitting in the middle of the clearing surrounded by hedges with blooming white and pink roses. The cascading water shimmered under the afternoon sun as it flowed down the fountainhead.

The brunette breathed. "This place is beautiful. Like a picture out of a fairytale."

"There is a fairytale about this place. Well, more of a myth," Fate said as she scratched her nose, a pink hue sporting her cheeks. "I overheard from some girls that couples would be blessed with eternal love if they were to complete a certain task."

"Is that why they are running around the fountain barefooted?" Nanoha inquired with amusement as she watched different couples, some of which were their schoolmates, circling the water feature without any footwear while holding hands and giggling. She turned and met the blonde's bashful stare. Nanoha felt a warm fuzziness in the pit of her stomach as she gazed knowingly at the blushing girl in front of her. Her face mirrored Fate's as she reached for her hand. Their blushes deepened and they relished the comforting warmth where their hands were connected.

"Don't tell me you are thinking of doing that childish act as well," said a voice from behind. Nanoha instinctively growled as the source and his companion stepped in front of them. "Seriously Fate, you're such a child."

"That's harsh Chrono," Yuuno said and cringed when the dark haired boy shot him a glare. He greeted the girls meekly. "Nanoha, Testarossa. Hi."

"Yuuno-kun," Nanoha returned the gesture while Fate simply nodded in acknowledgement. "I never knew you two are friends," the brunette commented.

"We sort of bumped into each other in the hotel and then one thing leads to another so-"

"You don't have to tell her that much," Chrono interrupted Yuuno with a scowl and returned his attention to Fate. "Well then," he began with a crooked smile, "I'm really curious about the person you're planning to do that silly act with. If I remember correctly, you confessed that you had someone else in mind the last time we met. Could it be that you're going to do it with _that_ someone?"

It might had been just a casual glance but when Chrono shifted his gaze from her face to where her hand was intertwined with Nanoha's, Fate felt an unknown need to release their hands. She stared at her feet when the girl beside her gave her a questioning look. Chrono's brows creased with what seemed like irritation as he witnessed the action but it was gone as soon as it came. Appearing to be aloof, he ducked his hands into his pockets.

"Not up for a little chat I see. I'll be going now then. See you around Fate," he said as he strode passed the silent blonde. Yuuno bid them farewell and followed suit. "What's with a modern architecture behind an old shrine anyway?" Chrono remarked, his voice distant as he left the clearing and down the forested path.

"Jerk," Nanoha muttered under her breath. Worry filled her when the blonde remained silent. "Fate-chan," she called as she touched the girl's arm. "Are you alright?" She immediately retracted her hand when Fate jolted at her touch.

"S-sorry," the blonde apologized with a stutter. "Guess I'm feeling a little out of it."

"You don't have to apologize," Nanoha said with a gentle smile and held the blonde's hand. She felt relieved when the girl didn't reject her hand. "Why don't we head back to the shrine grounds?"

Fate hesitated. "But what about…"

"It's okay," the brunette said, knowing fully what was on the blonde's mind. "We don't need to fulfill any kind of task just to gain eternal love. As long as we truly care for each other, it's all that matters."

-o-o-o-o-o-

It was nine o'clock at night. Everyone had returned to their respective rooms except for a group of girls who had invited themselves to the indoor hot springs located at the hotel's topmost level.

Hayate sighed as she sank deeper into the warm waters. "This is so relaxing."

"Are you sure it's alright for us to be here at this time of night?" Nanoha asked. "Or did you forget about the teachers' random room checks?"

"There's nothing to fret," Alicia said lazily. "They won't be doing any tonight as they're busy getting drunk with all the liquor they had bought today."

Nanoha questioned, "What makes you so sure?"

"I overheard them talking about a drinking party while in hiding," the blonde replied with a yawn.

"Right. I just remembered that you're quite the dangerous girl," Nanoha said. "Speaking of which, how did you manage to not get yourself caught during room checks?"

"I hid myself in Hayate's suitcase."

"What?"

"I may not look like it but I'm highly flexible."

"Yeah," the chocolate haired girl quipped. "You should've have seen it. It's amazing yet creepy at the same time."

The door to the hot springs opened to reveal a blonde wrapped in a towel.

"Took you long enough," Hayate said when Fate stopped at the edge of the pool. "Why aren't you coming in?" she asked when the girl made no further movements.

Fate shifted from foot to foot as she stole a glance at a certain brunette. "I'm not really used to showing my skin in front of others…"

Hayate smirked when she saw Nanoha blush out of the corner of her eye. "Well… as they say…" she drawled as she stealthily pinched the bottom corner of the blonde's towel, both Fate and Nanoha too caught up in their own thoughts to notice. Alicia pursed her lips together to refrain herself from making any sounds as the chocolate haired girl gave her a mischievous wink.

"There's always a first time for everything!" Hayate cried out as she pulled the towel off the blonde's body.

Nanoha snapped out of her reverie and gaped at the sight while Fate screamed and wrapped her arms around her body as she crouched on the floor in hopes of covering herself as much as possible. Hayate showed no sign of stopping her laughter until Alicia distracted her with worry in her voice.

"I think your joke went a little too far and Nanoha-chan wasn't able to take it…"

The girl was right though the statement had came a little too late. The brunette was already submerged in the water with a trail of blood leaking from her nose, creating swirls of red as it mixed with the hot spring.

* * *

Author's note: sorry for taking so long. let's just say life has been rather ergh for me. updates may still take long but not to worry as i plan to finish up Lyrical Academy :)

and to Fate TruelyGood (now Feito Tenjou): i'm alive! :D :D :D


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